The Snow's music
by TheLastKeeper
Summary: Isabelle didn't understand what was happening to her and her brother. One moment she was hearing a beautiful voice sing to her and the next, they were being pulled back in time. Both don't know how or why it happened, but they do know that nothing will be the same again- especially when Isabelle begins to hear this 'Angel of Music'. (KIND OF ON HOLD, IT'S COMPLICATED)
1. Chapter 1 (revised)

***Rewritten on 25 February 2016***

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers- thank you for taking the time to read my story. So, I've been obsessed with this movie/musical/book since I first heard about it a few years ago! I've seen it live twice- both times were great! **

**About two years ago I started to write this story but do to school and inspiration, I couldn't finish it. So now, I'm going over all my previous chapters and revising them so they'll hopefully be better.**

**Now, this is probably going to be like many stories where the main character comes into the phantom world but I hope I can add unique twists of my own. It's going to be very AU so if you don't like AU stories, then this one isn't going to be for you! It's going to be mostly based on the broadway show (2011 version) but will throw bits of the movie and book in it.**

**I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The bright afternoon sun peeked through the curtains of the auditorium, casting more light onto the nearly empty stage. A single ballerina stood in the middle, a soft smile across her lips as she waited for the judges to start the music, signaling the start of her audition. With the wave of a hand, the soft classical music started and the ballerina began her elegant dance.

Isabelle watched the ballerina's movements intently, impressed with the level of skill she was showing. Each of her Pirouette's her flawless and each leap was performed with excellence and style.

"Everyone is so good, Wilhelm," Isabelle murmured softly, leaning towards her brother who watched the stage with mild interest. "There's no way I'm getting in…"

"You're just as good as they are, Isabelle, so there's no need to worry," Wilhelm told her with a shake of his head. "I've seen you do a similar routine as the ballerina and it looked just as good. Have some confidence!"

"That's easy for you to say," Isabelle muttered under her breath and refocused her attention on the performance. The performance lasted for another three minutes before the music slowly came to an end and the ballerina bowed to her audience. Isabelle clapped politely before turning to Wilhelm, noticing that he had grabbed his coat and was glancing to the exit.

"That was the last of today's auditions, right?"

Isabelle nodded her head, "the last of them are tomorrow and after that, they're going to announce who made the cut. My audition is the second to last one so we don't have to get here too early in the morning."

Wilhelm nodded his head before both he and Isabelle made there way out of the building and headed to their car. The ride through town was quiet as the only sound came from the radio where soft classical music played. Isabelle merely looked out the window and watched the old buildings pass, absently tapping the melody on her thigh.

Isabelle hummed along with the melody line, absently tapping it on her thigh.

"You okay, Isabelle?" Wilhelm asked worryingly, glancing at his sister out of the corner of his eye. "You're awfully quiet…"

Isabelle jumped at the sudden noise and looked at her brother, a soft blush dusting her cheek as she shook her head. "Sorry, Wilhelm, I uh just have a lot on my mind…" Her brother motioned for her to continue and she did with a roll of her eyes. "I'm just worried for the dance audition tomorrow… I mean, what if I don't get in? Dancing has been my passion for so long and I don't know what I'm going to do if they reject me."

Wilhelm chuckled softly, "you'll do perfect, Izzy, I know you will! You've had a great teacher and once they hear you sing you'll be assigned the role you want at once."

"Thanks, Will," Isabelle grinned but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Wilhelm frowned with worry before he let out a soft sigh and fiddled with the radio until an awfully familiar tune reached his ears. He grinned broadly as he put the song on and raised the volume, causing Isabelle to laugh.

She sang along quietly,

"_Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation_

_Darkness wakes and stirs imagination_

_Silently the senses, abandon their defences_

_Helpless to resist the notes I write_

_For I compose the music of the night."_

"You can't beat the originals," Isabelle said once the song ended. "Michael Crawford will always be one of the best phantoms! What I wouldn't give to have been at the show when he was the phantom…"

"I thought that ramen guy was your favorite," Wilhelm commented, looking at you with a raised brow. "Did that change?"

"Well for one, it's _Ramin_ not ramen," Isabelle snorted. "And no, he still is my favorite phantom! I just wish I could've seen Crawford play him… All I can ever find on youtube are really crappy recordings of him singing the songs!"

Wilhelm merely hummed before falling silent as they finally made it to their home out by the forest. Isabelle yawned as she stepped out of the car, grabbing her bag and making her way into the house. As soon as she entered the house, she was met with the excited barks that came from a large black wolf-dog.

"Calm down, Fenris!" Isabelle laughed as she gently pushed her dog off her before she gave him attention. Wilhelm rolled his eyes as he entered before he left to the kitchen to begin making dinner. Once she lavished Fenris with enough attention, Isabelle stood back up and headed up to her room.

She placed her bag on her desk before flinging her shoes off and looking through her movies for something to watch after dinner. Since it was Friday, it was her day to chose a movie to watch and like usual, she was choosing between a few musicals.

'_Hmm… Should we West Side Story or Phantom of the Opera?' _Isabelle thought to herself with a frown. After a few minutes of debating, she chose Phantom before then wondering what version. Though she prefered the 2011 version, she hadn't seen the 2004 in a while so she grabbed that one.

"What movie is it today?" Wilhelm asked when Isabelle entered the kitchen to get something to drink. Isabelle merely grabbed a soda before peeing over his shoulder to see that he was making subs. "Wait let me guess… Les Miserables or Phantom of the opera!"

"What can I say? The Phantom of the Opera is great," Isabelle shrugged happily before accepting the sandwich handed to her. "Now come on, the trailers should be over by now…"

Isabelle settled herself comfortably on their couch and began to eat as Wilhelm started the movie and sat on the other side of the couch. Once Fenris saw that Isabelle wasn't going to move, he jumped on the couch beside her and rested his head on her ankles. She was glued to the television, singing along to Christine's songs while Wilhelm merely watched and mocked the singing.

"This musical always gets me sad," Isabelle said with a shake of her head, reluctantly getting up from the couch to take out the movie once the credits began to roll. "I feel so bad for Erik… I wish I could just hug him and never let go and tell him that he's not alone."

Wilhelm merely grunted before glancing at the clock and wincing when he saw how late it was, "we should head to bed. You have a big day tomorrow and you need all the sleep that you can get. I'll keep the front door unlocked in case Dad actually comes home today."

"I wouldn't put too much faith in him," Isabelle murmured, glancing to the fireplace mantle where their recent family photo rested. Her eyes stuck to her stepfather- a tall and lean German man with black hair and blue eyes. A frown settled across her lips as she saw how tired he looked with the heavy bags under his eyes and the sorrow that lurked in them. Letting out a sigh, Isabelle stood up and turned off all the lights before heading up to her room with Fenris trailing behind her.

Isabelle took a warm shower and put on her normal sleeping clothes that consisted of a long, blue shirt that went to her knees and a pair of black shorts. She wiped the warm steam off her mirror before she started to comb her hair, working out all the tangles that her hair managed to get.

There were many things that she didn't exactly dislike about herself- like her average height of 5'4, her lithe figure, and her light blue eyes that seemed to burn like blue-fire when she was angry. The only thing she simply couldn't stand about her appearance was her long and straight snow-white hair.

Ever since she was little, she hated it with a passion since kids at her school used to make fun of it and call her names. Over the years she had dyed it many times but it was gone before the month ended. In comfort, her mother had told her that it wa beautiful and what made her different than everyone else.

The words never helped and only confused her since she couldn't tell where she got her hair color from. Her mother's hair had been a dark blonde while her father's was a mystery since she had never met him. When she questioned her mother about it, she had simply shook her head mourned for the rest of the day.

Isabelle had always been jealous of her step-brother and how normal he looked with his shaggy jet-black hair that curled slightly at the ends. His ivory skin tone was nearly flawless and his eyes were a grey-blue that couldn't quite decide which color to stay. He was taller than Isabelle by quite a few inches and he had a decent amount of muscle.

A soft sigh passed her lips as she continued to brush her hair, shaking her thoughts off the subject as she began to sing softly to herself.

"_In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came_

_That voice which calls to me and speaks my name!"_

As Isabelle continued to sing, she unintentionally began to sway to the beat of the song,

"_And do I dream again? For now I find_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there_

_Inside my mind!"_

"_**You have chosen to sing with me, a strange duet…"**_

Isabelle yelped as she heard the voice and her brush fell to the floor as she twisted around and stared behind her with her eyes wide in a combination of shock and fright. She didn't know who had begun to sing with her and could only tell that the voice sounded oddly familiar. '_Wilhelm must be playing a prank,'_ Isabelle thought reassuringly, trying to calm her racing heart as she reached down to grab her brush. '_And not a very good one either!'_

"_**My power over you… Will grow stronger yet!"**_

Isabelle glanced back at the door and furrowed her brows in confusion. '_I wonder how Wilhelm managed to change the lyrics of the song…'_ With a sigh, she turned back to the mirror and continued her brushing.

"_**And though you turn from me to glance behind**_

_**The Phantom of the Opera is there,**_

_**Inside your mind!"**_

"Good try, Wilhelm, but you're not going to fool me," she rolled her eyes and opened the door, expecting to see a smirking Wilhelm but instead, she saw no one. She blinked slowly in confusion and looked around for a sign of her brother but saw nothing but Fenris looking at her strangely.

Faintly, she could hear the loud snores of her sleeping brother coming from his room across from hers. Her brows furrowed in confusion and she slowly turned back to the mirror, shaking her head as she placed her brush back on the counter. "I must have imagined it…"

She tried to clear her thoughts as she walked back into her room and began to look through her duffle bag to make sure that she had packed everything she would need. After her audition tomorrow, she had planned to visit her godmother with Wilhelm and she wanted to make sure she didn't leave anything important behind. "Okay it looks like I have my books, sketchbooks, music book, bag of pencils and pens… My phone, camera, headphones and my extra clothes!"

Isabelle nodded her head in acceptance before walking over to her large bed to settle in for the night. As she sat on her bed, she grabbed the picture frame off her nightstand and looked it over with a frown. The photo was the last picture she had taken with her mother before she disappeared a month later It had been taken nearly three years prior when Isabelle was only fourteen and Wilhelm had been sixteen.

No one quite knew what happened to her, just that they had woken up one day to find her missing with almost everything she owned still at the house and the only thing missing was her golden locket that she rarely wore. Isabelle's stepfather had been distraught and was convinced that she left him for some reason but nothing his children had said could convince him otherwise. Both Isabelle and Wilhelm refused to believe that their mother just left them, knowing that their mother loved the family dearly.

"I'll find out what happened to you one day, mom," Isabelle promised as she got up and placed the photo in her duffle bag. She set her bag by the door before getting into bed and turning off the light. Once she felt the familiar weight of Fenris jumping on the bed and curling next to her, she closed her eyes and fell asleep within moments.

* * *

_**"Isabelle... Isabelle..."**_

Isabelle sleepily blinked her eyes awake when she heard a beautiful voice begin to sing her name oddly tenderly. Her half-asleep mind forced her to look around in confusion, not quite understanding what was going on or what had awakened her. That was until her blurry eyes made out what looked like dark purple mist pour out from under bathroom door and seep into her room. A gasp of surprise left her lips as she suddenly awakened and she jumped to her feet, staring at the door with fear. Fenris had awakened as well and stared at the door with his ears flat against his head and his lips curled in a snarl, growling deeply.

_**"I am your Angel of music...**_

_**Come to me, Angel of music!"**_

Isabelle let out a frightened shout as she heard the voice begin to sing again and she darted out her room and slammed Wilhelm's door open. Her older brother was already getting out of bed, having heard her shout and he looked at her in worry. "Izzy… What's wrong?"

"There's a weird mist coming out from my bathroom and someone is singing my name and quoting phantom of the opera by calling itself an 'Angel of Music'," Isabelle said quickly in one breath, having to pause to catch it.

"Isabelle you must be dreaming so please go back to…" Wilhelm stopped when he saw the mist begin to pour into his room and he stared at it dumbfounded. "...Sleep…"

"Come with me to see what it is," Isabelle tugged on Wilhelm's hand, looking into her room curiously. Her eyes were still full of fear but her curiosity was getting the better of her- as it always did. Wilhelm reluctantly nodded his head before pulling Isabelle behind him as they cautiously entered her room. His eyes narrowed as he searched through the mist for a sign of the person who was doing this but he couldn't see anything.

_**"Isabelle... Isabelle..."**_

Isabelle could practically hear the love and affection in the singing voice but it only managed to make her sling tightly to Wilhelm.

_"__**Can't you see? I'm your Angel of Music...**_

_**Trust your Angel of Music**_

_**I'll protect you!**_

_**I am your Angel of Music!**_

_**Come to me, Angel of Music!"**_

Slowly, the two sibling opened the bathroom door and gasped at what they saw. Isabelle's mirror had completely shattered with pieces of glass covering the tile. In the mirror's place, resting a large, gaping hole that was purple and black in color. As soon as Isabelle and Wilhelm approached it, it began to glow as if their mere presence was activating it. As soon as the pair stood only a few feet in front of it, something pushed them from behind and they fell into the neverending darkness.


	2. Chapter 2 (revised)

***Rewritten on 27 February 2016***

**A/N: Hello! Okay well I hope you're enjoying the revised story so far! For any old readers, I have combined chapter two and three together since they were a bit short on their own and there wasn't a reason for them to be separate! I also changed a quite a bit about this chapter in total… I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Isabelle didn't know how long she had been asleep, but soon she began to become aware of the world around her. A light breeze tugged at the ends of the hair and something warm wrapped around her cold body. Faintly, she could hear the quiet laughter of girls from somewhere in another room. The soft cushion she laid on sank lower as someone took a seat there before someone rested their large hands on her shoulders and shook gently.

"Isabelle! Wake up, please," a familiar deep voice pleaded into her ear. Light blue eyes slowly blinked open and they turned to meet a pair of blue-grey eyes. "Thank god!"

"Wilhelm… Wh-what happened?" Isabelle groaned as she sat up and rubbed her exhausted eyes. Her eyes suddenly widened as she looked around and took in surroundings for the first time. They were in what looked like a clean office with many pictures on the walls and the thick curtains drawn shut. "Where are we?"

"I have no clue," Wilhelm shook his head. "I just woke up a moment ago and noticed that you were passed out on the couch."

"How'd we get here?" Isabelle slowly forced herself to her feet and stumbled a bit, unused to the height of which she stood. She froze as she looked down at her feet and finally noticed just what she was wearing. On her body rested a lovely layered dress that went to the ground and was a combination of dark blues with silver bordering the middle and ends. It was lacy by the chest and at the end of the sleeves that went to her elbows. On her feet was a pair of black heeled boots with stockings while a silk cloak rested across her shoulders. "Wilhelm… What the hell am I wearing?"

"Hell if I know! I just woke up and we were dressed like we're from the freaking 1800s," Wilhelm huffed. Isabelle turned to her brother curiously and turned to see that he was wearing a black, older fashioned suit that had hints of red. His buttoned up shirt was dark red and a black cloak was attached to his shoulders.

"Oh god… Where are we?" Isabelle whispered before turning to the desk that was in the small office. She looked for a clock or phone- something to help her- but she only found a strange calendar on the wall. Slowly, she walked over to it and her eyes widened in shock as she read the date. "Oh god… Please, _please,_ don't be true!"

Wilhelm looked over to her with concern before walking toward the calendar. His eyes narrowed before they widened in shock as he read the date aloud, "June 3… 1870…"

"This is a joke right? It has to be a joke," Isabelle said shakily as she hurried to the window, pulling the curtains open. A gasp left her lips when she saw only carriages and horses in the streets, no car or bus in sight. "M-maybe we're at an Amish sight or…"

"In Virginia? Yeah, no," Wilhelm shook his head as he closed the curtains to stop his sister's horrified staring and guided her to the couch. "I… I don't know how the hell it happened but I think that weird portal sent us back in time. I don't think we're in 2014 anymore…"

"How did this happen?" Isabelle asked as she put her face in her hands, feeling fear wash over her. Time travel was supposed to be impossible! It was only supposed to work in sci-fi shows like Doctor who and Star Trek! '_It's not supposed to happen!'_ Isabelle thought fearfully and she was about to say something when she suddenly felt as if someone was watching them. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she slowly lifted her head out of her hands, looking around in search of the gaze.

"What's wrong, Izzy?"

"I… I think someone is watching us," Isabelle said, not bothering to whisper. "Can't you feel their gaze on us? Or am I just freaking myself out?"

"You're just paranoid," Wilhelm sighed as he slowly stood up. "We need to find out where we are and just what we're going to do…"

Before Isabelle could stand and join him, she suddenly heard a familiar howl of a wolf and the swift running of paws. The door of the office slammed open and a blur of black dashed in and ran at Isabelle, leaping to her before it began to lick her face happily.

"Fenris!" Isabelle laughed happily, petting her wolf gently and kissing his forehead. "So you came with us too, huh?"

A cough from the door caught both their attention and the siblings turned to see an awfully familiar woman enter the room. She had a round face and dirty-blonde hair that was filled with grey streaks. '_That looks way too much like Madame Giry,'_ Isabelle thought to herself, '_she looks just like an actor that played her…'_

"I see you two are finally awake," the woman said calmly, looking at both siblings with interest and mild concern. '_Oh god she sounds just like her too!'_ Isabelle's frown deepened and she wondered what exactly was going on. "I was worried that you two wouldn't wake!"

"Uh, hello," William said slowly, his brows furrowed in confusion. Her face looked familiar to him but he couldn't place where he had seen her before. Judging by the astonishment in Isabelle's eyes, he guessed that she knew exactly where they had seen her.

"I am Madame Giry! How are you two faring?" Madame Giry asked as she approached the two hesitantly. "I see your wolf has found you! He looked to be quite worried."

"I uh think we're fine," Isabelle murmured, still trying to wrap her head around how they could be there talking to a _fictional character. _"But we're so very confused… Do you know how we got here?"

"A couple of our dancers found the two of you- and your wolf- unconscious in the middle of our stage with your bags, she gestured to the couch. Isabelle turned curiously and saw both her and Wilhelm's duffle bag resting on the ground. "We had the stage hands bring you here so you would be more comfortable. Now, I must ask, who you both are and why are you in the Opera Populaire?"

"My name Is Wilhelm Wolfe," he bowed his head in greeting. "And this is my sister, Isabelle, and her wolf, Fenris. "And why we're here…" He shared a look with Isabelle, silently asking her what they should say. Isabelle was just as clueless as he was and she merely shrugged, telling him that it was his call. "Well… It's a crazy story… And a rather long one…"

Madame Giry took a seat, "take your time…"

"If you're sure…" Wilhelm took a deep breath before he explained as much as he could. He started with where they're from- the country and year- and continued from there. From how Isabelle awoke to the voice to the voice singing before finally reaching the part where they found the portal. When he finished, he looked at Madame Giry to gage her reaction and wasn't surprised to be her disbelief.

"That is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard," Madame Giry frowned, standing up with irritation written across her face. "Time travel is not real- it hasn't been and it never will! You are either lying to me or you have come from an asylum!"

"No wait! I have proof," Isabelle suddenly cried out and hurried to her bag, opening it and pulling out one of her books. She flipped it to the copyright page and pointed to the date. "See! 2012!"

Madame Giry still looked unsure and Wilhelm went to help his sister. He pulled out the camera he spotted and took a quick picture before showing it to Madame Giry. "See," Wilhelm said and nearly sighed in relief when he saw that she was slowly starting to believe them. It was when he pulled out Isabelle's phone that she finally and truly believed them.

"You two really are telling the truth," Madame Giry whispered, looking at the siblings with awe written across her face. "A… And you have no clue as to how or why you were… Taken back in time?"

"None at all… Nothing makes any sense," Isabelle sighed softly before turning to look at her in hope. "I know this might be a lot to ask of you but please, we need your help. We have nowhere to go… Please, help us out…"

"I will try my best to keep you safe," Madame Giry bowed her head. "Can you dance? Act? Sing, perhaps…"

"Well I can act and dance," Isabelle nodded her head. "I can sing a little but nothing to high and I'm not the best… My brother can't dance to save his life but he can sing decently and play the cello very well!"

"I might be able to get you a position as a dancer," she replied slowly, nodding her head to Isabelle before looking to Wilhelm. "And I may be able to get you a job as a member of the orchest-"

"I was alerted that our mysterious guests have finally awoken!" Monsieur Lefevre said as he walked into the room, interrupting Madame Giry and startling Isabelle. He turned to look at the siblings in interest, "I assume you two are well!"

"Very," Wilhelm nodded his head and gave a slight bow. "We thank you for helping us out when we needed it."

Before they could say more, Madame Giry spoke up, "These two have asked to join the Opera Populaire. Isabelle said she can dance while her brother can play the cello!"

"Madame Giry… If you would speak with me in private," Lefevre gestured out the door before the two left. Isabelle toyed nervously with her sleeve, hoping that the manager would take pity and let them stay. The two only seemed to talk for a moment or two before they walked back in, a pleased smile across Madame Giry's face."

"I believe we could use the both of you in the Populaire," Lefevre said after a few moments of looking the two over. "The more dancers we have, the better! And one of our cellists got uh… fired and we haven't been able to find another one. I will allow the both of you to join but the wolf… I'm sorry but we will have to go!"

Isabelle froze before clinging tightly to Fenris,"please Monsieur! I'll do anything to keep him here! He's a very nice wolf- he doesn't bite or howl unless provoked! He knows not to relieve himself in a room and he won't make any noise at night or during performance!" She could tell that Lefevre was still not convinced and she blurted out the first thing that came mind. "If I can keep him, I'll clean out box 5 every week!"

Wilhelm frowned, wondering why both Madame Giry and Monsieur Lefevre paled at the mention of the box. "Hmm… That _would_ get the Phantom off my back about cleaning that damn box of his," Lefevre murmured. "Ah fine! If you're that desperate to keep the wolf… But if the Phantom writes another note to me about his box being dirty, the wolf is gone! You can keep him in one of the storage rooms, just make sure to clean up after him."

"Of course! Thank you so, _so_, much!" Isabelle was almost happy enough to hug him tightly but stopped herself when she realized what she had just promised him and she silently cursed in her head. '_Ah, shit… What the hell did I just get myself into?'_ Isabelle silently groaned, thinking about how she screwed herself. '_I am so going to die…'_

"Well I must take my leave now," Monsieur Lefevre bowed his head. "I shall soon see you again!"

As soon as the door closed behind the manager, Madame Giry turned and looked at them curiously. "How do you know about the Phantom?"

"His uh story is very well known in the future," Isabelle explained lightly to her, knowing not to say everything. "I know quite a bit about him while Wilhelm only knows some… And I realized I probably just hurt my chances of surviving and that he might be listening to this. If he is… Well than, hi!"

Madame Giry sighed softly, pinching the bridge of her nose before turning to the door and calmly calling out, "Meg! Christine! You can come out- I know you have been there since the beginning!" A few moments passed before a blonde and a brunette slowly walked through the doors. Isabelle couldn't help but gape at them- they looked almost exactly like they did in the movie!

"Um hello! I'm Meg and this is Christine," Meg said happily as she pointed to herself and the wide-eyed Christine. "You two really are from the future!"

"What's the future like?" Christine asked curiously. Isabelle was about to answer when Madame Giry stopped them and said to hold the questions for later. She said to show Isabelle to the ballet dormitories while she took Wilhelm to where he would stay.

"I'll see you later, Izzy," Wilhelm ruffled her hair as he grabbed his bag and followed Madame Giry out the door. Isabelle grabbed her own bag and followed Christine and Meg out the door and down the hall.

"It's so quiet…" Isabelle murmured, glancing around the empty halls. In the dark light they seemed so… eerie. "Why is that?"

Meg answered quickly, "most performers are on break since we just finished a production and we have a few days to rest!"

Isabelle merely nodded her head and followed them inside the ballet rooms. Christine showed her to the bed which would be hers- it was right under a window and rested between Meg's and another empty bed.

"So what's the future like?" Christine asked again, her doe-like eyes wide in curiosity.

"Well… It's loud and dangerous," Isabelle began as sat on her bed, testing it's comfortability. "Women have it a lot better and we have more rights and we're actually allowed to vote like men! Uh we get as much education as men and we work just like them too! The technology is _much_ better and instead of using carriages and horses to get around, we use these machines called cars. Cars are these moving machines that take us places…"

"Fascinating," Meg murmured in awe. Isabelle smiled slightly and nodded her head before opening the trunk by her bed and she began to put her stuff in it. She put all her electronics at the bottom and her books to the side along with her sketchbook. Her clothes were put in the center and she frowned when she saw that there were a few added dresses to the pile. She wondered how they got there but when she couldn't come up with a good reason, she merely shrugged and grabbed a simpler dress.

"Is there uh somewhere I can change?" Isabelle asked, "I don't want to ruin the dress when I go exploring…"

"I'll show you to the bathroom." Meg said happily as she showed her to the bathroom and taught her how to use the tub while she was there. Isabelle thanked her before she took off her cloak and the heavy dress. She pulled the simpler one over her head and relished the feeling of silk against her skin. It was a simple, long, mint-green dress with light pink roses at the bottom.

"Do you guys mind showing me around?" Isabelle asked once she got back to the room.

Meg jumped off the bed excitedly and nodded her head. "Oh we would love to!" Isabelle smiled happily and guessed that they either really liked her company or wanted to know more about the future. She couldn't blame them if the latter was their reason- she knew she would want to too in their shoes. "Let's get started! Oooh where should we start first! You're going to love it here!"

They slowly took her through the Opera Populaire, showing her the kitchens and different dormitories for various people. They even showed her the different boxes before taking her to the storage room where Fenris was staying. It was a decent length but there were many barrels and crates placed randomly and with no strategy. In the middle of the room was a pile of old blankets where Fenris rested comfortably. Two bowls rested near by, one with clean water and the other with scraps of food.

"I think he'll be happy here- and look! There's a window in here too," Isabelle walked over to the large window and pushed the curtains to the side. The air in the room was rather musky and she didn't want her wolf to be stuck in that kind of air. "Where to next?"

"Let's head to the stage," Meg decided after a moment. "You should get used to it since you will be performing on it for quite a while! Hey Isabelle? How old are you and your brother? You look like you're the same age as us!"

"Oh well I'm sixteen while Wilhelm is nineteen!"

"I hope I'm not rude but the two of you look nothing alike," Christine commented hesitantly.

"Well we don't share the same blood," Isabelle began to explain. "You see, we both have a different mother and father. My mother only married his father after they both lost their other partner…"

Christine nodded her head in understanding before the small group fell quiet. Isabelle eyed Christine, wondering how her training with Erik was going. Her eyes lit with mischief as she came up with an idea, wondering if she could get Christine to slip up and say something about her 'Angel of Music'.

Isabelle did her best to seem as casual as possible as she asked, "so… Have you two heard about the Angel of Music yet?"

"The Angel of Music?" Christine asked, her doe-like eyes full of curiosity. "I've never heard of an Angel like that before but he sounds wonderful… Have you, Meg?"

"No, is he someone from the future?" Meg asked, leaning in slightly. Isabelle's brows furrowed in confusion, not understanding how Christine had never heard of him before. '_What the hell,'_ Isabelle thought with a frown. '_Christine is supposed to know about him, how can she not? Oh god I hope Wilhelm and I begin here didn't somehow change the story! I really hope not… Maybe it's just a cover and she's lying! Yeah, that had to be it!'_ Isabelle paused, wondering if she should just leave it as that and not mention it anymore but her curiosity quickly got the better of her. '_I have to be certain…'_

"My mother once told me about him," Isabelle replied carefully, making sure to chose her words wisely. "She said that the Angel of Music appeared sometime in the late 1800s… I thought that perhaps you had heard of him…"

"This is the first time I've ever heard about him," Christine smiled. "Maybe we'll get lucky and see him one day!"

"Ha ha… Yeah hopefully," Isabelle laughed nervously, hoping her laughter could cover her shock. She was quickly let to the middle of the stage by Meg and the moment her foot rested on it, she was captivated. Her eyes were wide in shock as she glanced around at the dark red walls of the opera house and the golden statues. "It's so beautiful," she glanced at Christine, "the Angel of Music would really love this…"

The brunette showed no signs of surprise or any other reaction that might be thought of as suspicious. '_Okay I have one last chance to see if she's lying about her knowledge of the Angel of Music,'_ Isabelle thought to herself as she took a deep breath and stepped into the center of the stage. '_Let's hope that my guess is wrong… She has to have a reaction to this! If she doesn't… Then it must mean that Erik never visited her and Wilhelm and I really did mess this story up with our presence…'_

"_Mother once spoke of an Angel,_

_I used to dream he'd appear…"_

Isabelle sang softly, changing 'father' to 'mother' since it really had been her mother who had introduced her to the broadway show years before.

"_Now as I sing I can sense him!_

_And I know he's here…"_

Christine and Meg had their eyes half-closed as they listened but neither looked like they knew exactly what Isabelle was singing about.

_"Angel of music, guide and guardian!_

_Grant to me your glory..._

_Angel of music, hide no longer!_

_Secret and strange Angel..."_

"That was so beautiful, Isabelle!" Christine beamed, "you should try out for one of the singing roles in our next production! You could easily get in!"

"I'm not that great of a singer," Isabelle shook her head, "I'm sure you could sing better than me!"

"Oh heavens no! I can't sing at all, I can't keep a pitch or a tune- I really have to talent in singing," Isabelle gaped at Christine, not believing what she was saying. "Anyway, I've never really wanted to sing either… I much prefer dancing!"

"I see," Isabelle sent her a forced smile. '_Well it seems I was right… I don't know how or why but our presence seems to have already screwed up the plot to this story… Wonderful! Well, there's nothing I can do about it now… At least Erik won't have to feel the pain of rejection that he feels when Christine chooses Raoul instead of him.'_

"Well I think that ends our little tour," Meg said cheerfully. "I do believe we showed you most of the rooms you will be using… Well Christine and I were planning on going to the dress shop… Do you want to join us?"

"It's a kind offer but I'm going to have to decline," Isabelle said. "I think I need some time to myself so I can… Adjust and take everything in… And I need to go clean the storage room where Fenris is staying since it's so dusty."

"Well… If you're sure…"

Isabelle simply nodded her head and said her goodbyes before going back down the hall she came from and searched for Wilhelm. She found him easily enough for he was with another musician and were discussing something. "Wilhelm!"

"Oh there you are Izzy," Wilhelm sent her a grin before ruffling her hair. "How was the tour?"

"It went well but I need to talk to you about something," she glanced at the musician that was watching them curiously. "In private…" The other musician seemed to take the hint for he nodded in understanding and slipped into the dormitory. Isabelle lowered her voice in a whisper, "Christine was never contacted by Erik…"

"What do you mean?" Wilhelm asked with his brows furrowed. "I never really paid attention to the movie so I don't really know what's going on."

"Ugh, really Wilhelm?" Isabelle took a deep breath and rolled her eyes, "okay so in all versions, Christine was visited by Erik- who is the phantom- and taught her to sing. He called himself the 'Angel of Music'-"

"-Isn't that what the voice was calling itself?"

"I think so… Hey, don't give me that look! I'm pretty sure it wasn't him who brought us here! He may be a genius but even he's not capable of doing something like this," Isabelle paused before continuing. "Anyways, I was trying to get Christine to say something about the angel but she had no clue who he is! That meant she was never visited by Erik and was never taught to sing. Don't you see, Wilhelm? Us being here somehow messed the plot of this story up!"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Wilhelm frowned, "all I really remember from the movie was that the phantom had a creepy obsession with Christine and nearly killed her boyfriend and burned down the opera house. It seems like it's a good thing that he won't be able to do that now…"

"I suppose… But he must be so lonely," Isabelle said sadly. "I do get what you're saying though and I agree… Anyways, I need to go clean up the storage room where Fenris is staying... I'll talk to you soon, big brother!"

Isabelle waved her goodbye before she walked to where Meg told her where the cleaning supplies were. She grabbed everything she might need before she walked to where the storage room was, grimacing when she saw the dust-covered Fenris. "You've been in here for less than four hours and you're already a mess!"

A soft sigh left Isabelle's lips as she began to clean, wiping most of the dust off all the boxes and barrels. She did her best to take off every cobweb she saw and release any spider she saw out the door. Fenris managed to stay out of her way and instead laid on his bed and watched as she cleaned. Slowly, Isabelle pushed all the boxes and barrels to one side and stacked them neatly on top of another.

As she worked quietly, she felt as if someone was watching her and although it was unnerving, she didn't have the confidence to do anything about it. She had just started to mop when she began to get tired of the silence.

_"Listen to my voice calling you,_

_Pulling you out of darkness_

_Hear the Devil's cry of sin!_

_Always turn your back on him._

_With the wind you go_

_Still I dream of your spirit_

_leading you back home!"_

Isabelle smiled as she sang softly, subconsciously swaying to the rhythm of the song.

_"I will give my gifts to you_

_Grow your garden, watch it bloom!_

_The light in your eye is an angel up high,_

_Fighting to ease the shadow side!_

_Hearts will grow though having to bend,_

_Leaving behind all things in the end._

_Listen to my voice calling you!_

_Calling you out of darkness!_

_Hear the Devil's cry of sin,_

_Always turn your back on him..."__**(1)**_

Isabelle did her best to hold the note for as long as she was able, going up an octave as she did so. '_And now we're back to silence,'_ Isabelle sighed and she was about to sing another song when she heard clapping. She stood up straight and looked around wildly for the source of the clapping. '_I knew I wasn't alone! Who the hell-'_

_**"Brava, brava, bravissima..."**_

She froze when she heard the lovely voice sing from around her. Isabelle had a feeling she knew who it was- the voice was beautiful and a deep voice of a tenor, echoing through the room. '_I think it's Erik… He must have heard me sing and now he's applauding! And I now I think I may freak out…'_

"Who's there?" Isabelle asked meekly, trying her best to sound as scared and confused as she should be. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to figure out just where Erik was hiding.

"I am here, child," the lovely voice- that now undoubtedly belonged to Erik- murmured, as if he was trying not to frighten her.

"Who are you?"

"I am the Angel of Music," Erik continued. "I watch over all those who sing with passion and have talent! I have heard you sing and you have impressed me." There was a hesitation before he spoke again, "if you desire, I can help you improve your voice and become an even better singer!"

Isabelle narrowed her eyes, wondering if it actually wasn't Erik speaking and that Wilhelm was playing a prank on her. "This isn't a joke, right? Because if that's you Wilhelm, I swear I'm going to strangle you!"

"I am not this 'Wilhelm' nor do I know of one… I am simply the Angel of Music who you've spoken of and seek. Now, dear child, do you accept my offer?"

'_Okay yeah that's definitely not Wilhelm,'_ Isabelle thought with a frown, '_He usually stops after I catch him. It must be Erik then… But why ask to teach me? He's supposed to be teaching Christine! Well… I did already prove that Christine was never visited by him so maybe I'm meant to be his student now… Even if I'm not supposed to, this is an offer I cannot pass on!'_

Isabelle paused before shrugging, "why not? It's not like a little help with hurt or anything…"

"Excellent," Erik purred. "I look forward to teaching you, dear child… Be on the roof tonight and I will begin teaching you!"

And with that, he left.

Isabelle waited a few minutes to make sure he was gone before she let out an excited speak before forcing herself to calm down and clean. She couldn't stop smiling as she cleaned and before she knew it, she was finished and stopping to admire her work. It was much cleaner than before with all the cobwebs torn down and removed of dust.

"There we go, Fenris," Isabelle cooed, sitting down by the blankets and petting her wolf. "Now it's all nice and clean! I'll take you out to run sometime this week so hopefully I can find a park or something. Well I need to go, my puppy! I'll see you later!"

Isabelle stood up and shook the dust from her dress and headed out the door with her cleaning supplies. She found the closet she had gotten them from and put them back before making her way to the dormitories. Before she made it far, she spotted Christine and Meg who had returned from shopping and were heading to dinner.

As they took a seat at the long table, Isabelle asked them how their afternoon was. As they ate, they discussed what she would be doing once rehearsals for the next play started and what she would need to get. Wilhelm sat a few chairs away from them, talking with a few musicians that had stayed over break. For a moment, she debated on whether or not to tell him about her meeting with Erik but decided against it since she knew he would disapprove.

"We were going to go for a quick walk," Christine began as the three began making their way to the dormitories. "Would you care to join us?"

Isabelle nodded her head with a smile, "just let me get my cloak and we can head out!"

* * *

"Yeah, that's not happening," Isabelle shook her head, eyeing the thin looking frock Christine was trying to give her. Meg giggled from her seat, watching the scene unfold with an amused smile. "It's too long for me _and_ it looks see through!"

Christine frowned, "it's for sleeping though! No one is even going to see it!"

"Thank you, Christine, but I'm just going to stick with what I got," Isabelle said as she reached into her trunk and pulled out her silk sleeping pants and her long shirt, trying to casually put her cloak on the top of her trunk for later. "I'll be back!"

Isabelle made her way to the bathroom and changed into her sleeping clothes, washing her face with water and soap before heading back. "We have one more day off before the other ballerinas come back," Meg said excitedly. "You're going to absolutely love them!"

"What's the next production going to be?" Isabelle asked.

"I think it's _Magic Flute,_" Christine answered after a few moments.

Isabelle eyes brightened in excitement as she spoke, "I've seen that one before! It's going to be so much fun!" The three talked for a little while longer before they blew out the lights and laid down to rest. Isabelle waited until the breathing patterns of Christine and Meg slowed before she slowly got up. She quietly slipped out of bed and put her flats on before grabbing her cloak and tying it around her neck.

'_Thank god Christine and Meg showed me to the roof,'_ Isabelle thought, sticking to the shadows as she walked. Her footsteps were nearly silent as she walked, making sure to avoid anyone that walked near her. '_I think I'm going to have to find a shortcut to the roof…'_ Isabelle hurried up the long and winding stairs, sighing in relief as she got to the top and walked through the door.

For a few moments, she relished the cool air against her skin, smiling as the soft breeze whipped at her hair. Once her moment was finished, she looked around for a sign of Erik but found nothing. She guessed he wasn't going to show himself as she walked over to one of the statues and took a seat while looking up at the full moon.

"I see you've gotten comfortable," a strong voice rang through the rooftops, making Isabelle jump. She let out a string of german curses when she heard the voice, quieting down once she realized it was only Erik. "...Are you alright?"

Isabelle nodded her head, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "Sorry angel, you just startled me…"

"I apologize… Now, let's begin," Erik began. Isabelle grinned, feeling excitement start to bubble and she struggled not to bounce. "The aria we will start to work on is called _O messanger de Dieu._ Listen to me sing it and after I am done, I want you to sing it."

"Yes, angel!"

Isabelle was instantly captivated when he began to sing- it was simply so beautiful and she felt like she could listen to him for hours. His voice was better than any of the men that played him in the musicals and had a much lively tone- rich and full of passion. But soon, the song was over and it was her turn. She was surprised she even remembered the lyrics but thanked god before she took a deep breath and began to sing.

_"O messager de Dieu, si bon dans ta rudesse,_

_Sois béni, toi qui m'as ouvert le ciel!_

_Ma chair saigne, et mon âme est pleine d'allégresse,_

_Un air léger baigne mon front brûlant._

_Plus fraîche que l'eau de la source,_

_Plus douce qu'un rayon de miel,_

_Ta pensée est en moi suave et salutaire et mon esprit,_

_Dégagé de la terre plane déjà dans cette immensité!_

_Très vénéré père, sois béni!"__**(2)**_

"That was excellent, Isabelle! Of course there are a few things you need to work on," Erik slowly began to show her the things she needed to fix and helped her do so. He fixed her breathing so she wouldn't have to pause and take deep breaths after every few lines. They worked on the song for a few hours before Erik was satisfied with the work they did. "You're leaning faster than I thought you would! You will make an excellent Prima Donna one day…"

"Thank you, angel," Isabelle bowed her head, trying to keep her pent up amusement at bay. It was very amusing to her that Erik was very invested on pretending to be the Angel of Music. "Is today's lesson over?"

"Yes, dear child, you may return to your bed," Erik said fondly. "I will tell you when our next lesson is… Sleep well…"

"Goodnight my Angel of Music," Isabelle picked herself up, stretching her sore muscles before she began the long back to the dormitories. She was thankful that Christine and Meg hadn't noticed her absence, knowing that it would be hard to explain why she had been on the roof.

Tiredly, Isabelle slid her cloak off as she got back into bed, sliding herself under her thank blankets and closing her eyes to sleep. Just as she began to fall asleep, she heard what sounded like someone singing softly to her. Her lips twitched in a smile before sleep finally claimed her.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I don't own the different songs that I used in this chapter, they're owned by their respective owner, I'm simply using them and stuff...**

**(1) Out of Darkness by Aubrey Ashburn**

**(2) O messager de Dieu from Massenet's Opera, Thais**


	3. Chapter 3 (revised)

***Rewritten 26 May 2016***

**A/N: Hello! I hope you're finding this story to your liking- I've worked hard on it. Anyways, for my old readers... I uh took out the original chapter 3 completely since it was rather boring. This chapter then combines four and five so I hope there isn't any confusion. Sorry if there is!**

**Enjoy the chapter and thanks for reading!**

* * *

"It's time to get us, Isabelle," a soft voice giggled in her ear and gently shook her shoulders. "It's already late in the morning!"

Isabelle groaned, burrowing her head in her soft pillow. "Ten more minutes, Wilhelm… I promise I won't be late to auditions!" The sound of giggling finally clicked in her mind and she reluctantly lifted her head, glaring at Christine and Meg who continued their giggling. "What time is it?"

"It's about eight-thirty," Meg supplied.

Isabelle stared at Meg with her brows raised in disbelief, "that's late?"

"Well we're usually up by six for warm ups…" Christine began, "so we're used to waking up very early. You will have to adjust if you plan on staying as a dancer."

"I suppose you're right," Isabelle let out a tired yawn as she swung her legs over her bed. "I should probably go take a bath…" She walked to her chest and pulled out one of the dresses that appeared in her bag and her utility bag. "I'll be back in a bit…"

Isabelle was pleasantly surprised by how hot the water actually was. She had been sure that it would be lukewarm or even cold but no, it was pleasantly hot. Not wanting to waste the hot water, she quickly slid out of her sleeping clothes and into the bath. A sigh of bliss left her lips as she let her body relax, only beginning to actually wash when the water began to cool. Once the water was cold, she got out and dried herself off before reluctantly putting on the corset.

It was tight and squeezed her ribs unpleasantly- she hated it as soon as she laid her eyes on the material. Though she preferred a bra, she knew she only had a limited supply of them and didn't want to waste them early on. Once she finished dressing to her liking, her pulled her hair into a braid and left to the dormitories.

"I suppose I should go clean box five now," Isabelle murmured as she entered the room and saw Christine and Meg conversing. "I am _so_ going to die today…" She knew that Erik wouldn't hurt her since he was teaching her to sing but she found some twisted amusement saying it. "Tell Wilhelm that I love him and that he still owes me gas money."

Meg looked at Isabelle with worry bright in her eyes, "you shouldn't go- it's too dangerous! The phantom is not known for his kindness and he might hurt you for just stepping into his box!"

"Sadly, I made an agreement that I must keep if I want to keep Fenris… Relax, Meg, I'm sure I'll be fine," Isabelle went to her trunk and pulled out her phone, pleasantly surprised that it still had a full battery. The sight confused her since, when she had packed it, the phone was nearly dead but she decided not to question it. "I'm going to bring Fenris with me so if you hear him howl, send help."

After pocketing her phone and headphones, she turned to leave but before she could make it out the door, Christine's voice halted her. "How can you talk about this so lightly?" Christine asked, her brown eyes wide. "He could kill you so easily but you don't seem the least bit afraid!"

"I usually make jokes when I'm nervous," Isabelle admitted with a tight smile. "And trust me, I'm not going to die- or at least not today. I'll be back as soon as I can," with a wave, she left the dorms and hurried to the storage room with Fenris was. "C'mon boy! Let's take you outside first so you can do your business," Isabelle lead him to the back of the opera house and let him wander as she hurried to get cleaning materials. Once she had all that would suffice, she got Fenris again and slowly approached box five.

Isabelle took a deep, calming breath before she pushed through the doors and walked into the dusty room. "This isn't a pleasant sight," she muttered as she looked around in disdain. The chairs were dusty and unpolished, looking like they hadn't been touched in years. After looking around for a few moments, Isabelle lit the oil lamp that was in the box and smiled when the room brightened.

"_Bleib da, kleiner Wolf, beweg dich nicht ohne Komando,_" Isabelle said sternly to Fenris, watching as he obediently sat down. "Good boy! _Heule, wenn du jemanden bemerkst!"_

After a moment's hesitation, Isabelle slid her earphones on, determining that it would be safe as long as she played a soft song so she would hear if Fenris howled. She hummed along to the music as she cleaned, dusting off the many chairs and polishing the signs of abuse. It took her a while to finish and once she did, she began to work on removing the cobwebs from the walls and taking off the dust that gathered on the wallpaper.

"This is so gross," Isabelle muttered as she wiped a cloth along the wall and a thick layer of dust accompanied it. "I knew it would be bad but this… It's as if someone hadn't cleaned this box in years!" She paused, "which is probably what happened…"

Sadly, the walls proved to the harder than the chairs since she realized she couldn't reach all the way to the top. A string of curses left her lips when she realized that she would have to find other means to reach the top. With a quiet command to Fenris, she left the box and returned moments later with a small stepping stool.

"This is embarrassing," Isabelle muttered when she noticed that she was still too short and had to stand on the tips of her toes. With a sigh, she fixed her earphones and changed it to a faster song when she decided that turning it up would be okay. '_I doubt the Phantom is going to make an appearance,'_ she thought, resuming her previous position, '_at least no one is watching me…'_

Half an hour passed before Isabelle finished cleaning all three walls and she took a few steps back, nodding her head in approval. They were now pleasantly absent of dust and the box was looking quite nice. '_Now all I have to do is dust the curtains,'_ Isabelle thought as she pulled the curtains close. '_Something tells me I'm not going to enjoy this…'_

At first, Isabelle tried to use the stepping stool to get to the very top but once she realized that it wasn't enough, she jumped on to one of the chairs. Luckily, it was just tall enough for her to be able to reach the top and she quickly began to gather the dust. She was so concentrated on her work that she missed the shadow flickering at the back of the box and the small whimpers leaving Fenris. Another half hour passed when Isabelle finally finished and she pulled them back open before resting on one of the chairs.

"That's enough physical effort for today," Isabelle sighed, settling herself comfortably in the chairs and pulled her earphones out. By then Fenris had stopped whimpering and had fallen asleep, snores seeming to replace the whimpers. "Ugh… My feet hurt! Standing on chairs with heels isn't the best idea I've ever had…"

"Maybe that'll teach you not to wear shoes when stepping on my chairs," a powerful voice suddenly rang through the box. Almost immediately, Fenris' head raised and he growled lowly, baring his teeth. Isabelle knew it was Erik and briefly she wondered if she should act fearful but decided against it, knowing it would do nothing.

"I have such a small memory span that I'll probably forget about it in a few days," a smile played at Isabelle's lips. "Oh the woes of being me!" She paused, "ah so you must be the infamous Phantom of the Opera that I was told about- you probably already know but I am Isabelle Wolfe!"

It was quiet for a few moments and Isabelle wondered if he left but changed her mind once Fenris let out a sharp, echoing back.

"_Beruhige dich Fenris_," Isabelle looked at her pup in amuesment. "_Es gibt keinen Grund zur Sorge...noch nicht."_ Almost immediately, Fenris calmed and sat on his haunches, still glaring into the shadows.

"...Were you speaking to me?" The Phantom asked after a few moments, confusion evident in his deep voice.

"No, I was talking to my pup," Isabelle answered. "He only really listens to someone when he's spoken to in the language he was trained in."

"And, pray tell me, what language would that be?"

"My aren't we curious, Monsieur Phantom?" Isabelle teased. A voice in the back of her mind warned her against teaching him but she pushed the voice away. "As much as I would delight in sharing that with you, I don't think I can trust you with the knowledge.

"What are you doing here?" He suddenly demanded, causing Isabelle to wince. '_I probably should have listened to the voice- he doesn't sound pleased with my answer.'_ "Haven't they told you this is _my_ box?"

"Well there was really no need to since I already knew… And I'm here because _your_ box must be clean in order for me to keep Fenris."

There was a pause before he spoke again, confusion lacing his words. "You… You don't around afraid of me- why is that?"

"That's quite an easy answer, Monsieur Phantom; I simply know a lot about you," Isabelle stoop up and made her way to the door. "I suppose being from the future gives you perks like that… And I don't really have any reason to fear you, now do I? Goodbye Phantom, it was nice talking with you… _Kommen,_ Fenris!"

* * *

"Isabelle! There you are," Wilhelm called when he spotted her walking out of the storage room where Fenris stayed. "I was looking everywhere for you- Christine and Meg told me you went to clean out box 5. Why didn't you come get me to help?"

"I didn't really think about it," Isabelle admitted, offering him a sheepish smile.

Wilhelm rolled his eyes with a sigh before following her to get something to eat, "how'd it go, anyways?"

"It was fine, I suppose," Isabelle shrugged. "The box was so _freaking_ dusty! I don't know how the Phantom didn't constantly sneeze when he was in there!" There was a pause before she grinned, "guess who I got to talk to?"

"Hmm… Our dear Phantom?" Wilhelm rolled his eyes, ignoring the look of warning Isabelle sent his way.

"_Sei vorsichtig mit dem, was du sagst Wilhelm. Wir wollen ihn nicht gegen uns aufbringen,_" Isabelle muttered before visibly brightening. "But yeah- he didn't really talk much though, only asking what I was doing and not to step on his chairs… I think I may have angered him."

"And you warned _me_ not to anger him," Wilhelm groaned. "What did you go?"

"I only teased him… and kind of refused to tell him what language I was speaking to Fenris in," Isabelle shrugged before they entered the kitchen. Her eyes widened comically as she saw all the people who were there for lunch- definitely more than yesterday. There were many dancers, musicians, and stagehands eating at the table, their eyes traveling to the two once they noticed them entering the room. Meg grinned brightly when she saw the two and she quickly waved her hands for them to join her and Christine at the table.

"_Es scheint, dass alle wieder da sind,_" Wilhelm murmured softly. "Be careful of what you say…"

"Of course, big brother," Isabelle nodded her head and took a seat by Christine while Wilhelm sat by Meg.

"So you're the new dancer," a pretty ballerina said cheerfully as she caught her gaze. She had wavy dark brown hair with eyes to match. "I'm Emma!"

"It's nice to meet you," Isabelle gave a smile, thanking the cook when he handed her a plate. "I'm Isabelle but you can't call me Izzy if you prefer!"

"You're not from France, are you?" Emma asked, her eyes wide in wonder. "You have such a strange accent…"

"You caught us," Isabelle grinned, "we come from America though we were raised in Germany."

"Oh so you're German!"

"I'm not- just French as far as I know," Isabelle shook her head.

"I'm half-German, half-French," Wilhelm spoke up, not noticing how a few of the dancers were giving him dreamy looks. "My mother was French while my father was German."

"So… I heard you had to clean," Emma lowered her voice to a whisper as she leaned close to Isabelle. "...The Phantom's box…"

"You heard correctly," Isabelle nodded her head in confirmation. "I had to if I wanted to keep my pup…"

"Did you see anything strange?" One of the musicians asked. Isabelle recognized him as the boy who Wilhelm was with the day before. "Or hear anything strange?"

"Sadly not," Isabelle lied, shaking her head. "The Phantom left me alone although I think that may be because my pup was growling…"

"Oh…" the musician looked disappointed before shaking it off, "I'm Jasper by the way!"

"Tell us more about you, Izzy," Emma cut in before Isabelle or Jasper could continue. "And you too, Wilhelm!"

"Well there's not much to tell," Isabelle frowned, trying to think of something to say. "Well I'm sixteen, turning seventeen in August… Uh my favorite color is blue… I can dance, act, and I guess I can sing… Oh I can play the violin and piano!"

"Oh, Izzy, do you think you could teach me to play the violin?" Meg asked, hope bright in her green eyes. "I always wanted to play but mother never had the time to get me a tutor."

"I wouldn't mind," Isabelle smiled, "we just need to find two violins so I can properly teach you to play."

"The music room should have a few extra," Emma spoke up. "How about you, Wilhelm? What can you tell us about yourself?"

"Uh I just turned nineteen," Wilhelm began. "I can't dance or act to save my life but I have a slight ability to sing. I am a decent cook and I can play the cello quite well, along with the viola and flute."

"Have you received you tutu and leotard yet?" Meg asked once they finished their lunch, receiving a quiet no from Isabelle. "Well I'll take you to get one since we're starting to practice for our show tomorrow!"

"That would be lovely," Isabelle grinned, Christine and Emma deciding to join. "I guess I'll see you later, Will!"

It took them a while to find the right tutu for Isabelle since most were either to small or too big around the hips. Once they reached the bottom, they found the right size for her. Luckily, they found the leotard quicker, along with slippers and stockings.

Isabelle smiled as she looked at the material in her arms, her eyes bright. "Thank you all for helping me... " She turned to Meg, "so you do want to start your violin training now or later?"

"I would love to start now," Meg said excitedly. At the mention of the instrument, Christine's eyes filled with sorrow and Isabelle wondered if she was remembering her father who had been a great violinist. "I'll show you to the music room!"

"I think I'm going to return to the dorms," Christine said quietly. "Would you like me to take your clothes back to the dormitor, Isabelle?"

"I would appreciate it," Isabelle murmured, handing her the clothing. "Thank you…" She gave Christine one last smile before she followed after Meg to the music room, Emma deciding to go with Christine. Her eyes widened as she entered the room and say the many instruments lying around the room. There were many instruments of various material- like pianos, cells, violins, violas, and a variety of brass instruments.

"I'm in love with this room already," Isabelle sighed happily, walking over to the violins with a dopey smile. She suddenly froze when she spotted an oddly familiar case lying on the instrument rack. Her hands shook as she gently grabbed the case and opened it with a mixture of confusion and joy. "_Mein Geige… Mein letztes Geschenk."_

"Um… Izzy? I don't understand what you're saying," Meg frowned, walking to Isabelle with confusion in her eyes.

Isabelle turned to her with a smile, "this… This is my violin- the one I had in my time." She took the violin out of its case and examined it. The violin was a vibrant cherry-red and as she turned it over to examine the stripes, she ran her hands over the message that was burned into the back.

"What does it say?" Meg asked, peering at the handwriting in curiosity.

"_An meine bezaubernde Tochter, lass dich die Musik an den Ort bringen, an den sich dein Herz sehnt. In Liebe, Mutter._" Isabelle recited, almost chuckling when she was the confusion on the blonde-girl's face. "Roughly, it means 'to my beautiful daughter, Isabelle. Let the music take you where you long to be. Love, mother'."

"I wonder how it got here…"

Isabelle shrugged, "probably the same way Wilhelm, Fenris, and I got here." She gently put the violin out and opened another case, glad to find that it was full-sized. Slowly, she tuned the instrument, frowning at how long it took her. "Okay now here's what you have to do…"

Isabelle slowly showed Meg how to properly hold the violin, having to continuously fix her elbow and back posture. She then named each string and did her best to get Meg to memorize each one and she even had her recite them for a few minutes. Next was holding the bow with proved to be the trickiest for Meg, her pinky sliding down every few minutes.

"Now, I want you to slowly run your bow down the 'E' string," Isabelle said, nodding in approval when Meg did just that. "Now the other strings…" Meg easily did it but went to close to the fingerboard and the sound went soft and sloppy. "Stay closer to the bridge so you make more sound and make sure to use weight," she instructed, smiling when Meg listened. "Now I want you to do a quarter-note, then a half-note…" She winced at the confused look Meg gave her, "I'll explain that later… I want you to go fast, then slow, then fast again." Meg complied with an embarrassed smile at not previously understanding her. "Okay good! I think that's all for today though. Next time, I'll teach you the note names on each string and how they look on sheet music."

"Thank you, Izzy," Meg smiled as she put the violin away, loosening the bow like Isabelle instructed. "I'm really glad you agreed to teach me…"

"How could I say no?" Isabelle grinned cheekily, "especially when you gave me those puppy eyes of yours!"

* * *

Isabelle let out a quiet yawn as she walked out of the dressing room, outfitted in the ballet tutu and leotard she received yesterday. "It's so early," she muttered as she wandered over to Meg and Christine who were both ready to practice and were waiting for Emma. "It should be illegal to be up this early…"

Meg giggled, "it's only seven, Izzy! Are you really not used to getting up this early in the morning?"

"I am a lazy child and usually get up at nine or ten," Isabelle shrugged. "Luckily, practise wasn't until the afternoon so I had no reason to get up early. Oh well, I'll get used to this schedule eventually…"

The door suddenly slammed open and Emma hurried out and over to the trio, "sorry about that! I wouldn't find my stockings!"

Quickly, the four hurried over to the stage where they would be begin to practice their dances for _Magic Flute._ Madam Giry nodded over to them as they arrived and waited for the rest of the ballerinas to appear. Once all were accounted for, she had them start their stretching and daily warm ups. They almost finished when a horrible singing voice reached Isabelle's ears and caused her to wince. Her eyes narrowed when she recognized Carlotta and she absently wondered how she had managed to survive watching the parts where she sang.

"It's like listening to someone scrape their nails against a chalkboard," Isabelle muttered under her breath. "Please, lord in heaven, make this madness stop!" She glancing at the giggling Meg and Emma while Christine barely managed to hold in her amusement. "How long have you been putting up with this?"

Christine glanced warily at Carlotta before responding, "five seasons…"

"Five to many if you ask me," Emma muttered, glaring darkly at Carlotta's back. "I honestly don't understand how anyone could find her voice attractive!"

"Wouldn't be a shame if she suddenly croaked like the obnoxious toad that she is," Isabelle suppressed her smirk as she remembered how Carlotta did croak in most of the adaptations.

Meg raised an eyebrow, "you're not planning on doing anything to her, are you?"

"Never my dear, Meg," Isabelle flashed her a large grin. As soon as they finished their warm ups, Madame Giry began to show them the dance for the opener. It was relatively easy and Isabelle had no trouble learning it- like most of the dancers. She did notice a few of them were struggling and Madame Giry had them continue to practice while the others rest. "I'm sure the others will catch up quickly- the dance _is_ rather simple, afterall!"

Once the others caught up, they were called back and resumed their practise of the song. There were some mess ups- a foot or two out-of-place, arms waving, or one to too many twirls but by the end, it wasn't terrible and they could have it perfected in a week or so.

"Good job today," Madame Giry said as she ended rehearsal. "You all have done quite well today so I will see you tomorrow- bright and early!"

With murmured goodbyes, the dancers hurried out and made their way back to the dormitories to change. Isabelle slipped on one of her dresses as she finally made it back to the dressing rooms and she slipped her tutu back in her trunk. She hastily grabbed a pen and her music book before calling Meg over so they could begin her violin lesson. They were almost to the music room when they were stopped by a grinning Wilhelm.

"Hello little sister," Wilhelm greeted warmly as he ruffled her hair until she swatted his hand away with a scowl. He chuckled before turning to address Meg, sending her a dazzling smile that made her blush while Isabelle almost snorted. "Well hello Meg, you look beautiful this fine evening…"

"Th-thank you, Wilhelm," Meg said shyly, twisting the fabric of her dress in her hands. "I hope you've had a good day…"

Wilhelm grinned, "I have! Well I'll see you two later at dinner… May your Angel of Music watch over you, Izzy!" Isabelle's eyes widened in shock and she wondered how he had found out, only to realize a moment later that he was joking and she couldn't suppress her scowl.

"Your brother is really charming," Meg sighed happily after a few moments. "And he's quite the gentlemen too…"

"Meg… Do you happen to have a brush on my brother?" Isabelle asked, amusement bright in her eyes.

"Pardon? I don't understand…"

"Do you find my brother attractive?" Isabelle grimaced as soon as the word left her mouth.

Meg's face brightened in a blush and she squeaked, "what? I… Well… Maybe? He's just really handsome! Please don't tell your brother…"

"I promise- telling him so would only boost his already large ego," Isabelle snickered as they entered the music room. "Now, get the violin out- I need to show you the notes and how they look on each string!" Hours flew by fast, Meg understanding almost everything that Isabelle threw at her. "Good job today! You're really getting the hang of this- I had thought it would take you longer to memorize the notes."

Meg beamed as she put her violin back into case, "I just have a really great teacher. Uh, Isabelle? Before we go can you play me a song on you violin? I was going to ask yesterday but it slipped my mind…"

"Of course," Isabelle nodded her head happily as she grabbed her violin and slipped on the shoulder rest. She took her bow out and after tightening it, she placed it on the strings. A frown slipped across her lips as she thought of a song and her eyes softened when she finally chose one and began to play, her eyes closing. Without knowing, she began to sway slightly as she played, pouring her emotions into the music.

Her fingers shook slightly as she used vibrato, making sure to slowly fade out. She slipped flawlessly through the different positions, going back from first to third. Isabelle poured her heart into the music, letting herself get lost in the bittersweet song. Once she finished, she slowly opened her eyes and lowered her violin.

"A-are you okay?" Isabelle asked, her eyes wide with concern as she saw the tears that filled Meg's eyes.

"I'm fine," Meg hurriedly wiped at her eyes. "It's just… The song sound so beautiful but so… Full of sadness! What is it called?"

Isabelle let out a wry grin, "it's uh called _Despair_… I guess it lives up to it's name, huh?"

"Definitely," Meg nodded her head. Isabelle quickly put the violin away, sliding it into the back before following Meg out of the room and down the hall for dinner.

A few hours passed before Isabelle- accompanied by Meg, Emma, and Christine- entered their dorm. They had just finished dinner, like the other ballerinas, and they decided to lay around before drifting off to sleep. Isabelle quietly reached into her trunk and pulled out her sleeping clothes then left to change. It was only after coming back from changing that she noticed the beautiful white rose on her pillow. With a smile, she picked it up and gently ran her hand along the soft petals before taking in the pleasing scent.

'_I suppose this means that I have lessons tonight,'_ Isabelle thought to herself, laying the rose on her small, personal nightstand. She slipped the ribbon off the rose and used it to tie her hair into a tight braid.

"Who's the rose from, Izzy?" Emma asked, eyeing the white rose. "Is it from a suitor?"

"Wha- oh no! Just a… friend," Isabelle said quickly, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "It's just a friendly rose, really- nothing more or less!"

"Sure, whatever you say," Emma smirked, rolling her eyes. Isabelle looked at her with a mock glare and her eyes darted to her pillow but before she could act, Emma shook her head. "Don't you even think about it!"

Isabelle couldn't help but pout before letting out a soft giggle. She looked around and noticed that most of the other were beginning to lay down and she followed their example, turning off her gas lamp and settling down in the blankets. For minutes, she waited until she was sure everyone was asleep before getting up and picking up her cloak on her way out the door. As quietly as she could, she made her way to the roof and strained her ears for any kind of sound. A soft gasp left her lips when she spotted someone and she quickly slipped into the shadows.

Her eyes narrowed in distrust as she spotted Joseph Buquet- the creepy man who liked to both scare and spy on the ballet dancers- creeping along. His eyes darted around as if he was searching for someone or something in the shadows. Isabelle held her breath and pushed herself further back into the shadows as his eyes looked in her direction before his eyes continued to travel. She let out a sigh of relief as he finally left and she quickly hurried to the roof. Like last time, the roof was empty and Isabelle quickly took her seat on one of the angel statues.

"_**Isabelle… Isabelle…"**_

A lovely voice sang out, surrounding Isabelle in delightful bliss. For a moment, Isabelle was reminded of the voice who had sung her name she arrived but she pushed the thought away- although similar, the voice was different. Although the voice was quite rich and powerful, it didn't have the same effect as before.

"Hello, Angel," Isabelle greeted cheerfully, smiling brightly at the sky. "Are you doing well this evening?"

"I am, thank you, child," Erik responded softly. "Are you ready to continue your lesson?

"Of course, Angel!"

"Hi Angel!" Isabelle said cheerfully, smiling brightly at nothing. "Are you doing well?"

"I am, thanks child," Erik said softly. "Are you ready to continue your lesson?"

"Yes, Angel!"

* * *

**Erik (3rd person):**

"Now I want you to sing," Erik instructed Isabelle after he himself had sung the new aria she would be working on. Isabelle nodded her head and took in a deep breath before she began to sing. In his mind, Erik began taking notes on what she did well on and what could be fine tuned and fixed. She had only just got to the middle of the song when the roof door suddenly slammed opening, causing Isabelle to jump in fright. Erik's gaze darted to the door and he saw what looked like Isabelle's brother, Wilhelm, glaring and walking towards the fallen Isabelle.

"Wilhelm? Wh-what are doing here?" Isabelle squeaked as she hurried to her feet. Erik used this as his chance to slowly make his way over to the trap door, ready to jump through it in case he was somehow spotted.

"I could ask you the same thing," Wilhelm snapped, glaring darkly at his sister. "I know I heard another voice and I know it was male! Now, where is he- he's hiding somewhere, isn't he?"

'_Insolent boy! Stop meddling in things you don't belong in,'_ Erik scowled, finding that he didn't quite like his Angel's brother."

Isabelle frowned, "brother, it's only me… I came up here to practice my singing since I couldn't earlier."

"At midnight?" Wilhelm scoffed. Erik's eyes narrowed before hardening when he saw the boy roll his eyes. "I'm not stupid, Isabelle, I know someone else is here!"

"Fine then- go look around! You won't find anyone!"

"Fine, I will!"

'_Good luck, foolish boy,'_ Erik scoffed, '_searching for me is only a waste of time.'_ Erik watched as the german boy looked around the roof but found no sign on him- not that he expected Wilhelm to. Isabelle was glaring at him whe whole time, a scowl across her face to show him her displeasure.

"Happy now?" Isabelle snapped and began to walk to the door but before she could get there, Wilhelm said something to her in German.

'_I'm going to have to learn German,'_ Erik thought to himself, brows furrowing in confusion. '_I don't have a single as to what they're saying but I think I heard 'Phantom' in there. Are they talking about me?"_

"I should have known that was coming," Wilhelm chuckled, shaking his head and finally converting back to a language Erik could understand. "Let me escort you back to your dorm… I was Boquet wandering around I don't want him to go near you." Isabelle looked uncertain and looked around, as if looking for a sign that her departure would be okay.

"You can go, child," Erik carefully projected his voice so only Isabelle could hear it. "I will tell you when and where to meet next…" Isabelle seemed to nod before she smiled up at Wilhelm and followed him out the door.

"Foolish boy," Erik growled lowly as he began to walk back to his lair. "He ruined a perfectly good lesson! Now I'm going to have to repeat the lesson next time _and_ decide on a new place to meet."

Erik let out an angry sigh as he got to his gondola before slowly making his way across the late and to his home.

Home.

Erik let out a bitter laugh as he looked around at what he could consider his home. No, it wasn't his home, even if it did hold everything that he owned. It was his prison- his prison of solitude. A prison that he couldn't easily be freed from and one that he couldn't escape, no matter how hard he tried. But maybe… Just _maybe_, she will be the one to finally free him from his solitude.

* * *

**Translations:**

_Bleib da, kleiner Wolf, beweg dich nicht ohne Komando_: stay here, little wolf, do not move unless told

_Heule, wenn du jemanden bemerkst:_ Howl if you hear someone

_Beruhige dich Fenris:_ Calm down Fenris

_Es gibt keinen Grund zur Sorge...noch nicht:_ There is no need to worry... Yet

_Sei vorsichtig mit dem, was du sagst Wilhelm. Wir wollen ihn nicht __gegen uns aufbringen:_ Be careful with what you say, Wilhelm. We do not want to annoy him

_Es scheint, dass alle wieder da sind:_ It seems that everyone is back

_Mein Geige... M__ein letztes Geschenk:_ My violin... My last gift


	4. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi! Thanks for reading, you're all amazing! So just as a heads up, I'm thinking about taking of the prologue off this story since I realized that I really don't need it. So hopefully there's no confusion if the number of chapters suddenly decrease. I apologize if a certain someone in this chapter is a little Oc in this chapter, I did the best I could... Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter :3****  
**

**Isabelle(1st person):**

The weeks went by quickly and before I knew it, almost three months had passed. Everyday was basically the same but I didn't really mind it. It felt nice I suppose, to know that there was a schedule to follow and control. Each morning, I would get up at the same time as Meg, Emma, and Christine and we would quickly bathe before heading to breakfast. On our way there, we were usually met up by Wilhelm, Jasper, and sometimes a male dancer named Archer. We would quickly eat together before the other dancers and I returned to our dorm to dress. After dressing, we would go and be in rehearsals until noon. At noon, we would get a short break to relax and eat lunch.

Once our break was over we would practice until around four then we were left to enjoy the rest of the day. I would then meet up with Meg after changing and I would do a two-hour lesson before we separated. Then I would go to the storage room and get Fenris, usually taking him to do his business and get him new food and water. As soon as I finished that, I would go to box five and quickly clean whatever dust had appeared and whatever mess had been made.

Once I was satisfied with my work, I would go to dinner and sit and talk with my brother, Jasper, and the others. After dinner was done, I usually went on a walk with Meg, Christine, Emma, and I would take Fenris. As soon as our walk was finished, we would go back to our dorm and get ready to sleep. If I spotted a white rose on my bed then I would wait until everyone was asleep to leave and meet Erik. He had picked the chapel as our lesson location since he feared that we might get stumbled upon by Wilhelm if we went to the roof. Erik would teach me for a few hours before I left to sleep.

At first, I thought it would get boring doing basically the same thing each day but it wasn't. I had friends to make it enjoyable and I had a growing career that I loved. Knowing I had people who cared for me and cheered me up made the pain go away.

I had never admitted it to Wilhelm or anyone but I was beginning to miss by home. I missed my friends and my father and it hurt to think that I may never see them again. I worried about how my father was doing since he was alone now. When my mother had left, my stepfather had been heartbroken and had been in a depression ever since. Thinking about what he was now going through made my heart clench painfully and tears fill my eyes. There was a part of me that believed that me and Wilhelm were stuck here forever but the other part kept telling my that I would return. And even though I really missed home, I didn't know if I truly wanted to leave.

Meg, Christine, and Emma were the greatest friends I had, I was close to them and they didn't judge me. They were so unlike the friends I had at home and I considered them sisters. And Erik, he was also a great friend. Even if he was still pretending to be my Angel of Music, I felt that I could trust him. He was always kind to me, never yelling or getting mad if I couldn't do something right the first time. Erik always encouraged me and always had kind words to offer me. And during my lessons, I found out that his nervous laugh was the most adorable thing ever.

One night during a lesson he had said something that he wasn't supposed to, I don't really remember what, and he had began to stutter. I could practically hear the blush creep up to his cheeks. When he finished stuttering, he had tried to make a joke out of it and when I was silent, he had began to laugh nervously. It was so adorable! It was like he had no clue what to do and just decided to laugh. The sound of his adorable laugh had caused my own laugh to emerge and he had quieted as soon as I laughed. It had taken a few minuets, but I had finally regained control of my laugh and we had returned to my lesson.

A sigh left my lips as the memory passed over and I took my usual seat by Wilhelm, greeting him with a soft 'hello'. I began to eat slowly since it was Saturday and it meant that I didn't have to rush to get ready since our rehearsals didn't start until noon. My heart clenched painfully when I began to think about home and I shoved the thoughts away, telling myself not to think about it since it would only make me sad.

"Hey Izzy! Guess what's coming up in a week?" Wilhelm grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

"The opening night to Magic Flute?" I asked, lifting my head to look at him with curiosity. Wilhelm shook his head and told me to guess again. "Um... a holiday?"

"No," Wilhelm rolled his eyes. "It's your birthday!"

Wilhelm laughed as my mouth dropped open and my eyes widened in shock. I had completely forgotten about my birthday, being to distracted with my singing lessons and the up coming opera to think of it.

"Oh I didn't realize it was so close," I murmured. "What day does it land on?"

"Thursday," Wilhelm replied. "It's right before the opening night to Magic Flute!" I narrowed my eyes when I saw the look in his eyes change. "So... What do you want for your birthday?"

"You don't need to get me anything," I told him, shaking my head and grinning. "I'm fine with what I have..."

"I know that I don't need to, but I want to," Wilhelm smiled at me, ruffling my white hair. "You're my little sister and you deserve to always have the best birthdays. So, even if you don't tell me what you want, I'm still going to get you something!"

I gave him a mock glare before chuckling and pushing him lightly with a roll of my eyes. Wilhelm patted my head once again before saying bye and he left. My breakfast was only half way gone when Emma came running toward me with an excited grin.

"Guess what!" Emma said excitedly, ignoring the irritated looks some of the other dancers and stagehands were giving her.

"Um... what? I'm horrible at guessing," I explained to her when Emma pouted.

"Aw well okay," Emma's excitement calmed for a moment before it burst right back up. "You know Archer right? The cute blonde and green-eyed dancer?

I nodded my head in conformation, Archer was the boy who was absolutely smitten with Emma. It was actually kind of cute how shy and nervous he was when ever he was around her. He was a very shy and quiet man, it was almost weird that he decided to become a dancer. I mainly thought it was strange because I knew that he came from a wealthy family and most upper class families didn't want their children to have anything to do with performing arts. "Well he asked to take me on a date tomorrow at seven! I'm so excited!"

"I'm so happy for you," I beamed, happy that my friend's dream had come true. More excitement bubbled in Emma's eyes along with hope and I had a feeling that she had more to say. "Is there something else?"

"You caught me," Emma nodded her head. "Well Archer asked if it okay for one of his friends that he hadn't seen in a long time to come along on the date. I said yes of corse but I felt bad because I thought his friend would feel awkward so I um... I kind of..." Emma looked at me nervously. "Volenteredyoutogowithhimashisdate!"

I frowned, I had absolutely no clue what she was saying, she had talked way to fast. "Can you repeat that, Emma?"

Emma took a deep breath before she said slowly, "I kind of volunteered you to be his friends date for the night."

"You WHAT?" I asked, anger flashing in my eyes. Emma chuckled nervously and I saw that she looked guilty. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "You couldn't have asked me first?"

"I was worried that Archer would end up calling off the date," Emma said softly. "I'm sorry, Isabelle... I should have asked you first."

"It's fine, Emma," I ran a hand over my face. "Just please don't volunteer me again... Well at least I have something to do tomorrow..."

"So you're going to go?" Emma asked hopefully. I was about to answer when I shivered and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. It felt like someone was watching and almost daring me to answer. A frown made its way to my lips and I told myself that I was being paranoid.

"I think I will," I told her quietly. I could almost feel someone's glare and I looked around for the person who I pissed off. But I found no one and I continued to tell myself that I was being paranoid. "What's the worst that can happen? It's not like I'm going to end up marrying him! What's his name anyways?"

"That's a secret," Emma gave me a cheeky smile before she bounced with excitement. "This is going to be so much fun!" A laugh escaped my lips as I watched her before standing up and throwing my plate away, following Emma out of the kitchen. "Let's go tell Meg and Christine! They're going to be so excited!"

* * *

**Wilhelm(3rd):**

The midday summer air was warm in the slightly crowded streets of Paris. Wilhelm almost let out a groan as he, once again, came out of a shop that had nothing that he thought Isabelle would want. It had been a shop full of dresses but the colors had been terrible and he knew he would have to continue his search. He eyed the bookstore a little ways away and debated on whether or not to go in. Through the windows, he could see shelves full of books just begging to be bought.

So with a soft sigh, he pushed the doors aside and stepped into the bookstore. Wilhelm looked through the books, trying to find a few that his sister would like. A lot of them he just walked by, not seeing how anyone could find the topic interesting. He groaned when he still saw nothing that would interest Isabelle and he stepped out again. Once again, he found his way to the street and he began to look for another shop to enter.

Wilhelm hadn't been paying attention as to what was in front of him and he crashed into a body. He gasped and quickly regained his balance before he could fall over. The man he had crashed into caught himself in time also and he looked at Wilhelm with shock.

"Sorry about that," Wilhelm apologized, giving the man a sheepish smile. The man looked like he was the same age as Wilhelm but he looked more innocent. He had dark blonde hair and soft blue eyes that held kindness. His face was clear of any hair and he had his long hair slicked back. He was less broad and muscular than Wilhelm and held himself with an elegance that Wilhelm didn't posses. Wilhelm swore he had seen his face before but he couldn't remember where. "I wasn't paying attention as to where I was going."

"It's fine Monsieur," the man told him. "It was partly my fault as well... I shouldn't have stopped in the middle of the road."

Wilhelm smiled at him and was about to turn away and say goodbye when a question entered his head. "Not to bug you but do you happen to know where I could get a gift for a girl turning seventeen?"

The man gave him a strange look before slowly nodding his head. "I know of a place... I could take you there if you wish."

"That would be great," Wilhelm smiled in gratitude. "I'm Wilhelm by the way!"

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Vicomte Raoul de Changny," the man shook his hand. Wilhelm's eyes widened slighty when he realized that it was the man who Christine ended up being with. "But please, just call me Raoul..."

"Only if you just call me Wilhelm," he responded, earning a nod from the Vicomte.

"Wilhelm... That's not a French name, is it?" Raoul asked as they made their way to the shop.

"It's German," he responded, nodding his head.

"Ah so you're from Germany," Raoul mused. "Your accent isn't very noticable, it's almost like you were born here."

"I was taught French before German so that may add into it there!"

"I see," Raoul stopped once he got to a smaller shop that didn't have many buyers. "Here we are... It might not look like much but they have a lot of jewelry and dresses for women. It's where I get most of my sister's gifts."

"Thank you for showing me," Wilhelm shook his hand. "It might not seem like much but it means a lot."

"I don't mean to pry but who are you getting a gift for?"

"My little stepsister, she turns seventeen next week on thursday," he smiled softly, not noticing how Raoul stiffened "I've never been great at getting her things for her birthday so this year I'm trying to make up for it."

"I hope she loves the gift you choose for her," Raoul smiled, snapping out of whatever thoughts were running through his head. "It was nice talking to you, Wilhelm. Perhaps we'll meet again?"

"I think we will," Wilhelm gave him a knowing look before saying goodbye and walking into the shop. He was imminently hit with the scent of lavender as he entered the brightly lit shop. His eyes widened as he took in all the jewelry and dresses. The shop owner smiled at him as he entered and told him to call on her if he needed any help.

Wilhelm decided against getting Isabelle a dress and wandered over to the jewelry. Almost instantly, his eyes were drawn to a necklace and an arm band._ 'These are perfect,'_ Wilhelm grinned._ 'Why didn't I come here first? Would have saved me a lot of time!'_

Wilhelm quickly paid for the jewelry and put it into a nice bag before going back to the Opera Populiare. He was glad that he got shopping over with and didn't have to worry about going back. Shopping was almost torture to him, not having the patience to go from store to store looking for different things.

"How was shopping?" Jasper asked as he walked over to his tired looking friend.

"Horrible," Wilhelm responded, rubbing his hand over his face. "It took me forever to find the shops and I had to ask someone to show me where I could get something for a teenage girl. It was embarrassing..."

"Could have been worse," Jasper laughed. "It could've started raining!"

"True," Wilhelm yawned before following Jasper to where there room was. He pushed open the door and walked over to his bed, nodding to Archer as he did so. Wilhelm placed the jewelry into his trunk and under his clothes so no one would get curious and look through it.

"Is Isabelle excited about her date?" Archer asked, glancing over to the frozen Wilhelm.

"Date? What date?" Wilhelm demanded. Archer shrunk down a little and scolded himself for ever mentioning it.

"Yeah... Me and Emma are going on a date tomorrow and a friend of mine was going to join. Emma thought it would be awkward for him so she volunteered for Isabelle to go as his date," Archer winced when he saw Wilhelm's angry face.

"And when did she plan to tell me?"

"I don't know! I didn't ask her, Emma was the one who confirmed it for me."

_"Was denkt sie?"_ Wilhelm growled in German, standing up and stalking out the room. _"Sie ist so tot ist..." _Wilhelm stalked toward the storage room, knowing that she would be there. He slammed the door open glared at the startled Isabelle.

"Whats wrong, Will?" Isabelle asked, her eyes worried. "Are you okay?"

"You're going on a date?" Wilhelm hissed. "And you didn't bother to tell me?"

"I didn't think I _had _to tell you," Isabelle bristled, not liking her brother's reaction. "Plus, when I _did_ go to tell you, you were gone! So don't yell at me for not telling you!"

"Do you even know who you are going on a date with?"

"Emma never told me," Isabelle shrugged. "It's not like he's a rapist since he's a friend of Archer. So lay off and stop treating me like I'm a child!"

"You know I'm just worrying about you..."

"I know Will, and I appreciate it but you're over reacting," Isabelle sighed. "You're acting like I wasn't planning on telling you... Trust me Wilhelm, I can take care of myself. I don't need you holding my hand all through out my life."

"I just don't want you to make a decision that you end up regretting," Wilhelm frowned.

"It's just a date Wilhelm, it's not like I'm getting engaged to him or anything," Isabelle shook her head. "If this date goes horrible and he ends up being a creep, I promise that I won't ever go on date with him again. Okay?"

"Fine," he muttered before grinning. "You better not go past the point of no return," Wilhelm joked, earning a pout from Isabelle.

"That was my joke!"

* * *

**Translations:**

Was denkt sie- _what is she thinking?__  
_

Sie ist so tot ist- _she is so dead_


	5. Chapter 6

**Isabelle(1st):**

"How much longer till six?" Emma asked, wringing her hands out nervously. We were sitting on our beds and waiting for it to be six so we could get ready. Emma had wanted to get dressed around five but I had told her no since we would have too much extra time afterwards.

"About five or ten minuets," I responded, not looking up from my sketchbook. Emma groaned in dismay and sank lower into her bed, earning a snort from me. For the next five minuets, Emma sat in tense silence and when I told her it was time, she jumped out of her bed so fast that I worried she would ruin the work that Christine had done to her hair.

Emma rushed to her trunk and hurriedly began to take out her best dresses to choose from. Unlike me, she seemed to have over ten nice dresses to choose from. I had three to choose from but they were all beautiful and nicely made. The first one was the one that I came here in, I was definitely leaning toward that one. My second one was a pretty dark red dress with black ribbons here and there, the sleeves slipped to just below the shoulders. The last dress was a simple sky blue dress with beige laces. It was long-sleeved and slightly low-cut. And although it was simple, it had an elegant look to it.

"Which one should I choose?" I asked Emma, turning over to see that she was debating over two dresses. Emma walked over to where I laid out mine and inspected them each. She felt the fabric of each one then would glance at me then back to the dress.

"The dark blue one," Emma decided. "The dark colors are a sharp contrast to your hair and will make your white hair look lovely."

"Then it's decided," I grinned and put my other two dresses back in my trunk while I pulled a few other things. I grabbed dark blue high-heeled shoes and a silver shawl, taking out my locket that I always wore.

"Which one do you think I should wear?" Emma asked. I went over to her dresses and looked them over like she did to me. The two she picked were beautiful and looked expensive. After looking them over for a minuet, I told her to wear the long light pink dress that was rimmed with black lace with the sleeves going to her shoulders. "Thanks, Isabelle!"

I grinned in reply before going to the changing room and slipping behind a curtain. The dress was easy to get on although it took me a minuet so get the corset perfect. I hated those damn things, they would be the death of me. After I put the layered dress on, I slipped my shoes on and slid the shawl over my shoulders. Lastly, I slipped my locket on and hid it under my shawl.

"Archer isn't going to know what hit him," I told Emma as I got back to the dorm to see her almost ready to go. I knew I chose the right dress for her, it fitted perfectly with her. I opened my mouth to say something else when Meg walked in happily.

"You look great Emma! You too Isabelle," She said and turned to me. "Wilhelm wants to talk to you real quick!" I nodded my head before walking out to see what my brother wanted.

"You look beautiful, Izzy," Wilhelm complemented before he handed me something. I raised a perplexed eyebrow as I looked at the belt and dagger he handed me. Almost instantly I recognized it as the one that my grandfather had given Wilhelm for his sixteenth birthday.

"Wilhelm, why are you giving me this?" I asked.

"You need to have some type of protection," Wilhelm grinned. "Don't want you to get in trouble and I have no way to protect yourself."

"Thanks Will but I'm pretty sure nothing dangerous is going to happen," I laughed.

"Just humor your protective brother, okay?" I rolled my eyes but complied, sliding the belt around my waist.

"Thank you big brother," I hugged him before turning to go back inside. "Now I need to find something to hide the dagger..."

He waved at me before I went back inside, laughing when Emma and Meg gaped at me. "Don't worry, it's just for emergencies!" I went over to my trunk and looked for something to hide the dagger. A grin slipped its way to my lips as I found a silver sash and I quickly tied it on my waist, making an elegant looking bow. I looked one has time in the vanity and checked my hair, smiling when I saw that the black ribbon I was using kept the single braid going down the center of my head intact.

"Ready?" Emma asked and I nodded my head. We waved goodbye to Meg before hurrying are way to the front of the building. As soon as we got there, Emma spotted Archer and almost ran to him. I let out a laugh as I saw him blush and begin to stutter when he tried to complement her. I turned my head to finally see who my date was and my eyes widened as I looked into a pair of familiar blue eyes.

_'Why am I not surprised?'_ I thought as I found myself staring into Viscomte Raoul de Changny's eyes. He walked over to me and bowed, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles softly. He had this strange look in his eyes as he looked at me, almost as if I was a missing piece to a puzzle. His brows were slightly furrowed as he thought, of what, I have no clue.

"So you must be Isabelle," Raoul smiled softly. "I'm Raoul..."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said evenly, trying my best not to fangirl over the fact that he has kissed my hand. "I'm glad I finally met my date, someone," I mock glared at Emma, "didn't want to tell me anything."

"Really?" Raoul asked with surprise. "Emma wouldn't stop talking about you!" I glanced over to Emma and saw that her cheeks were a light shade of pink.

"Did she?" I grinned. "I hope she only had good things to say..."

"Don't worry mademoiselle, she only had kind words to offer," Raoul chuckled. "Although Archer did-"

"Right, we should get moving," Archer said, interrupting what Raoul was going to say. His cheeks had turned bright red and it caused Emma to laugh behind her hand. He offered Emma his arm and she took it with a blush of her own. Raoul did the same and I was about to accept it when it suddenly felt like someone was glaring at me. I frowned and looked around, eyeing the shadows for a person's form.

**"**_**Isabelle..."**_A voice sang to me, it was soft and kind but had a hint of anger in it._**"Isabelle..."**_

It sounded a lot like Erik and I felt myself frown, wondering why Erik was singing to me out in the open. But as I looked to Raoul to he his reaction, I saw that he hadn't heard anything, Erik's voice avoiding his ears.

"What's wrong?" Raoul asked, watching as I stiffened and looked around slowly.

"S-sorry about that," I shook my head, telling myself that I was just imaging the voice. I didn't believe myself though... "I thought I heard something but It was probably just my imagination."

"Well alright," Raoul offered his arm again and this time I gently took it, sending him a kind smile. I glanced behind me once more before we headed out the door and into the carriage.

* * *

**Isabelle(3rd person):**

"That was _so_ good," Emma moaned as they walked out of the restaurant. Isabelle agreed, saying that it was the best French food that she'd ever had. Archer chuckled at Emma and looked at her with adoration, Emma obvious to the look.

"We'll have to go there again one day," Raoul said, looking down at Isabelle. They had talked a lot during their dinner and had gotten to know each other. It was mostly Raoul asking questions with Isabelle trying to answer him without giving away that she was from the future and knew that he belonged with someone else. Isabelle had thought it was strange that Raoul had questioned her about her parents continuously and she had answered to the best of her ability. But her answer only seemed to confuse him and he had a thoughtful look over his face afterward.

_'I can't get to close to him,'_ Isabelle thought to herself._ 'He belongs with Christine, not me... I'm pretty sure I wasn't brought here so I can marry him. If Christine was actually being taught by Erik then maybe, but she's not so I'm pretty sure I don't belong with Raoul. _And I don't like him like that anyways... _I'm surprised that he's actually really nice and not a total fop like everyone thinks he is.'_

"Damn, we finished a half-hour earlier then I thought we would," Archer mumbled. "I didn't tell the driver to pick us up until nine..."

"I guess we can wander around," Emma said, eyeing the sweets shop that was across from them. Archer and Raoul caught where she was looking and chuckled before walking them over to it. "And you know... maybe eat all the sweets..."

Archer opened the door to the sweets shop and scrunched his nose up with distaste as he saw how crowded it was. He was about to suggest going elsewhere for something sweet when he saw Emma look into the shop with wide, hopeful eyes. A sigh passed through his lips and he shared a look with Raoul.

"How about you two stay out here while Raoul and I go get us something?" Archer suggested.

"That sounds fine," Isabelle said, looking at Emma and seeing her nod her head in agreement. A movement out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention and she snapped her gaze to the shadows. Yet her eyes found nothing and she shrugged. But for a split second, she thought she had seen a pair of glowing eyes staring at her but she said it only her imagination. "Just... don't take to long..."

"Of corse," Raoul told her, sending her a reassuring smile. "We'll be back before you know it, mademoiselle."

Isabelle scowled before shaking her head and saying, "I thought I said to call me Isabelle..." her scowl was replaced with an amused smile. "It makes me feel old when you call me that!"

"Whatever you desire, Isabelle," Raoul chuckled before following Archer in. As soon as the door closed, Emma jumped toward Isabelle with excitement clear on her face.

"Tonight has been amazing," Emma grinned. "I almost don't want it to end! Archer has been so sweet and adorable... I pray that we have another date soon..."

"I bet he'll ask you on another by the end of this week," Isabelle smiled. "He adores you! It's so obvious when he looks at you with those puppy eyes!"

"And Raoul," Emma smirked. "He seems to like you a lot! How about you? Do you like him a lot too?"

"I..." Isabelle opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out. She frowned and furrowed her brows in thought. "I don't think I do... I mean he's very sweet and he would be a great partner but I only like him as a friend. And I don't think he belongs with me... He belongs with someone else, someone who has been in love with him since they were children."

"Oh," Emma frowned slightly but didn't let Isabelle's answer bother her. "It sounds like you know who he should court!"

"I do... or I think I do," Isabelle almost laughed when she saw the intrigued expression on her face. "And no, I'm not going to tell you who!"

"Aw," Emma pouted. Isabelle giggled and leaned against the wall of the shop, wondering why they were taking so long. Emma was beside her and looking at the sky, trying to name off all the constellations that she could spot. A few minuets passed before Raoul and Archer came out, holding a scone out to both girls. "I love scones! Thank you Archer! And you too Raoul!"

"Thanks," Isabelle grinned as Raoul handed her the scone. They then began to eat their scones slowly, waiting for the carriage to appear.

"So I heard you can sing, Isabelle," Raoul said, glancing at the girl from the corner of his eyes.

"So I've been told," Isabelle murmured. "I'm not the best but I believe that I'm okay... I do know that I have a lot of work to do before I can start to sing on a stage."

"Sing a song for us," Archer suggested, Emma nodding her head in agreement.

"Oh I don't know..."

"Please, Isabelle?" Emma looked at her with wide puppy eyes. "It'll make this night perfect..."

"Well since you asked so nicely," Isabelle teased before she took a deep breath and began to sing.

_"Look at me_

_You may think you see_

_Who I really am_

_But you'll never know me_

_Every day_

_It's as if I play a part_

_Now I see_

_If I wear a mask_

_I can fool the world_

_But I cannot fool my heart_

_Who is that girl I see  
_  
_Staring straight back at me?  
_  
_When will my reflection show  
_  
_Who I am inside?"_

"That was amazing," Raoul complemented. "Where did you learn to sing like that?"

"Oh you know... I just picked up some techniques here and there," Isabelle murmured.

"I still think you should audition to be the lead in the next opera," Emma said, frowning. "You would do a lot better than Carlotta!"

"It wouldn't make sense to audition, Carlotta would get the lead anyway," Isabelle muttered. "Too many people _actually_ like to listen to her sing! Don't know how, but they do..."

"I guess you're right," Emma sighed. "It's not fair though..."

Isabelle said nothing, only nodding her head in answer. A moment later, they spotted the carriage coming toward them and they hurried toward it. The night was starting to get cold and Isabelle regretted not bringing her cloak with her. They chatted softly as they went back to the Opera Populaire. Before they knew it, they were already at the Opera Populaire and Archer, Emma, and Isabelle got off.

"You guys can go on ahead," Isabelle said, deciding to stay back so she could talk to Raoul. "I'll see you in a bit..." She turned to Raoul when Archer and Emma left. "It was nice getting to know you, I had a great time!"

"Me too," Raoul smiled, his eyes hopeful with another emotion that Isabelle couldn't place. "I hope we can do this again..."

"I would like that," Isabelle said and took a deep breath for what she was about to say, hoping Raoul would take it okay. "But I would like to go next time as _friends_..." She was surprised when she saw relief in his eyes.

"I think that'll be great," Raoul smiled. "Friends it is!"

"I'll admit, I didn't think you would take this so well," Isabelle grinned.

"It's just... You remind me of a little sister that I once had... I haven't seen her in years though. Her and my mother disappeared one night about fifteen years ago, when I was six and she was two." Raoul frowned for a moment before shaking his head. "And... Well my heart still belongs to this one girl..."

Isabelle's brows furrowed in thought, confused about what he was saying. In the book, she remembered that Raoul's mom had died giving birth to him but apparently it didn't happen. And what he had told her unsettled her. Her mother had met her stepfather when she was two, the same age when Raoul's sister disappeared. Isabelle shook her self out of her thoughts, telling herself that she was only fooling herself.

"Oooh tell me about the girl whose holding your affections hostage!" Isabelle grinned, trying to not think about what Raoul said.

"Well I haven't seen her since she was seven," Raoul admitted. "But she captured my heart then and she still has it. I once got her red scarf out of the sea..."

"Well I wish you luck in finding the girl," Isabelle bowed her head to hide her knowing look. "Now I must take my leave... My brother will freak out if I don't appear soon."

"Goodbye then, Isabelle," Raoul said, leaning down slightly to kiss Isabelle on the cheek. "I hope we meet again..."

Isabelle kissed his cheek in return before hurrying up the stairs and into the Opera house. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt a sense of safety in the Opera house. But almost at once, she felt someone staring at her. Her eyes looked around slowly for the source but she still found no one.

"I must be paranoid," Isabelle sighed before heading up the stairs and toward her dormitory. On her way there, she saw Archer heading toward her. She smiled at him and unhooked the belt from her waist, handing him the dagger. "Thanks for taking me, Archer, it was fun. Can you give this back to Wilhelm for me and tell him I made it to my room safe?"

"Of corse," Archer nodded, grabbing the dagger. "I'll see you in the morning..." Isabelle nodded before continuing on her way, pushing the door open to see Emma chatting excitedly with Meg and Christine.

"The date was amazing," Emma said dreamily. "I had so much fun with Archer... You had fun, right Isabelle?"

"Yeah, I enjoyed it," Isabelle smiled. She walked toward her bed and almost groaned when she saw the white rose that was placed on her bed._ 'Damn it... I just want to sleep tonight,'_ Isabelle sighed before picking up the rose and placing it in her vase._ 'Oh well... This is what I signed up for...'_

Isabelle shifted through her trunk and picked out her sleeping outfit and quickly changed into. She put her used dress into the pile that needed to get washed before placing her cloak on the top of her trunk. She stayed up with the others for a while longer, talking about the date before they eventually retired for bed. Isabelle had to force her eyes to stay open and she nearly fell asleep.

A soft sigh passed through her lips as she forced herself to her feet and slipped into her shoes, pulling her cloak around her. She glanced one more time around her to make sure everyone was asleep before heading out. Isabelle kept to the shadows and made sure to stay near the side of the walkway to keep from being seen. It only took her a few moments to get to the chapel and she didn't hesitate to enter.

She shivered as she entered the chapel and she pulled her cloak around her tightly, snuggling into the warmth. A few candles were lit like usual and she sat in front of them, waiting for Erik to start the lesson. It was hard for her to stay awake and she had to pull on her hair in order to not fall asleep. _'Where the hell is Erik?' _Isabelle thought after five minuets of silence._ 'He usually starts the lesson within a few minuets!'_

"Angel?" Isabelle questioned softly. But her only response was silence.

Ten more minuets passed and by then, Isabelle was starting to get annoyed. A part of her was worried that something bad happened but it was blocked out by her annoyance. She sighed before scooting over to a wall and leaning against it, her head tilted back and closed.

"I'll just take a nap until he gets here," Isabelle muttered, letting her eyes close shut so she could rest.

* * *

**Erik(1st person):**

"Almost done," I murmured as I finished writing down the music notes on my sheet music. A smirk toyed with my lips as I looked down at the music with approval, nodding my head as I put the quill down. The smirk that was on my face disappeared when I realized how late it had become and that I was late for my lesson with Isabelle. I quickly got to my feet and grabbed my cloak, securing it around my shoulders before going off in the direction of the chapel.

By then I was at least an hour late, later than I had ever been to one os Isabelle's lessons. Damn Isabelle and her damn suitor! If she hadn't accepted the date, I wouldn't have tried to distract myself with meaningless tasks.

I honestly didn't know why I was so angry at Isabelle for going on a date. It's not like I had any claim on her but the idea of her with a man other than me made my blood boil and a scowl appear on my face. I wanted her to be mine but I knew it would never happen for someone as beautiful as her wouldn't want to be like a monster like me.

But I can still try! I can try to make her love me and find the man behind this... Monster! Although I knew now wasn't the time... I needed to be patient and simply be her Angel of music. But I swear to the stars, she _will__ be mine!_

Once I finally made it to the chapel, I noticed that the candles that were usually lit had gone out. I spotted Isabelle asleep against a wall and I felt a pang of guilt. She must've waited for me like usual but judging by the exhausted look on her face, she couldn't keep her eyes open. Letting out a groan of dismay, I realized that I shouldn't have picked tonight to have a lesson. Damn my need to be near her and hear her angelic voice sing!

As I looked at her, I couldn't help but think about how beautiful and peaceful she looked. Her white hair fell against her shoulders and it seemed to almost glow in the darkness, like an angel's wings. The dark freckles she had under her eyes were more apparent. After a few moments of debating whether or not to leave her there, I slipped out of my hiding spot and walked over to her, lifting her up into my arms. She was light and she looked so small in my arms. Almost instantly I felt her head barrow its way into my cloak and she sighed peacefully.

A smile made its way across my lips as I looked down at her before walking back to her dorm. I made sure no one was up before I slipped in and laid her gently on her bed. Noticing her shoes and cloak, I quickly took them off and placed them on her trunk before pulling her blankets up to her chin. Leaning down, I quickly pressed a kiss to her forehead and pushed a strand of her black bangs behind her ears.

As I turned to walk away, I swore I heard her whisper softly, "Thank you, my Angel of Music..."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Now I was little iffy on this chapter and debated on whether or not to keep it as it was and in the end i just decided to keep it like this. I hope it was fine and not to horrible... Now, I don't own the song used in this chapter (or any of the songs that I use period), Christina Aguilera does, its her song called Reflection. Once again, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Till next time :3**


	6. Chapter 7

**Isabelle(3rd person):**

Isabelle sighed softly as she slipped out of bed, running her hand through her hair as she stumbled toward her trunk. Her eyes were half-closed as pulled out her usual ballet tutu, stockings, and slippers. A yawn passed through her lips as she walked toward the washing room, waving at Meg and Emma as she passed. They shared mischievous looks as Isabelle passed, hurrying to the dorm as she passed.

The white-haired girl was obvious to them all, walking into the washing room and filling a tub. She sank into the hot water and sighed in bliss, sinking to the point where only her nose was out of the water. Isabelle quickly sat up and washed her hair, knowing not to linger for to long. The water was barely starting to cool down when Isabelle got out, quickly drying off and putting on her ballet clothes. She was combing her hair and braiding it when she began to walk back to her dorm.

"Hey Emma do you have a ribbon that I can borrow?" Isabelle asked, not lifting her gaze away from the ground. "I seem to have lost the black one that I usually use..."

Isabelle finally lifted her eyes up and they widened as she took in what was in front of her. Emma, Meg, and Christine stood around her bed, all smiling at her.

"Happy birthday, Isabelle!" They shouted in unison, rushing to hug the surprised Isabelle.

"Thanks you guys," Isabelle said, hugging them all in return. A bright smile was across her face and her eyes shinned with joy. Her eyes fell to her bed where several wrapped boxes sat. "But you guys didn't have to get me anything..."

"What are you talking about? Of corse we did, you're our friend and we wanted to make sure you had a great birthday," Emma grinned, ruffling Isabelle's white hair. "Now open mine first, it's the best!"

"No mine is," Meg argued, flashing Isabelle a quick smile. "Isn't it, Christine?"

"I'm staying out of this," Christine giggled before leaning toward Isabelle and murmuring, "mine's the best, don't listen to them."

"I'm sure I'll like all your gifts equally," Isabelle reassured them as she reached toward her bed. Her hands gently curled around the wrapped gift that Meg had given her. She toyed with the blue bow that wrapped around the box before slowly pulling it free. As she finally freed the box of wrapping paper she saw that it looked like it was a music box. Isabelle slowly opened the box and smiled when a ballerina dressed in a pink tutu spun around in the middle. A melody was coming from the music box and the familiarity made a soft smile appear on her face.

_"Hush-abye, don't you cry,"_ Isabelle sang softly._ "Go to sleep my little baby... When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses!"_

Isabelle smiled and hugged Meg close. "Thank you for the gift, I love it!"

"I knew you would! Now who's next?"

"Oh me!" Emma grinned. "Open mine next!"

Isabelle grinned and nodded her head before grabbing the square box off the bed. She once again toyed with the bow that wrapped around the box before opening it. Her hands reached into the box and she pulled out a silky cloak. It was a beautiful silver with light blue bordering that traveled up the back. The pin that kept it together looked like a rose and had sapphire gems around it.

"It's lovely, Emma," Isabelle smiled at her friend and hugged her tightly. "Thank you!"

"You're most welcome," Emma beamed. "I noticed that your cloak was starting to rip at the bottom and decided to get you a new one. But I must admit, I have no clue how yours is already tearing, you hardly use it!"

_'If only you knew,'_ Isabelle chuckled.

"Mines last," Christine smiled and pushed the large square box toward Isabelle. "It's kind of heavy so be careful!"

Isabelle nodded her head and slipped the bow off the box and pulled the lid up. Her eyes lit with curiosity as she saw a near pile of books. She took a few out of them out and saw that they were in French. None of the titles were familiar to Isabelle and her eyes lit with excitement. When she saw the last three books she furrowed her brows with surprise. The last three books were in German and they were nicely made.

"_Die Geschichte von Liebe and Wein,"_ Isabelle read aloud as she looked at the blue covered one and then turned to the red covered one. "_Rote Liebe..._" She turned to the last one, a green covered book._ "Die Spur von ihr Sternen..."_

_'I guess these are all romance novels,'_ Isabelle thought to herself. _'I hope that that's all they are...'_

"What are the titles?" Christine asked. "I didn't know German so I asked the owner of the book store to give me German books suitable for young woman."

"The first one is 'A story of love and wine', the second is 'Red love', and the third is 'The trace of her stars'," Isabelle said and flipped to the middle of _Rote Liebe_ and began to read aloud in German. _"The maid's eyes were downcast as the prince gently took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. He whispered words of love and brisk encouragement as he guided her hands to his trousers. The innocent maid shakily pulled down his trousers and found that he wore nothing under it. She shivered when she felt... his... _OH MY GOD CHRISTINE YOU GOT ME A _VERY_ GRAPHIC NOVEL NOT FIT FOR GIRLS MY AGE!"

Isabelle dropped the book to the ground and looked at Christine with horror-filled eyes. She knew Christine didn't know that the book she had bought her was porn but she couldn't help but panic. Her normal fair skin had turned bright red and Christine's skin almost matched hers. The horror on Christine's face was to funny for Isabelle and she couldn't help but laugh till her sides hurt. Christine obviously didn't think it was funny and she stood with her arms crossed, her cheeks still dark red. Emma and Meg were also laughing and they didn't look like they were going to stop.

"Are you about done now?" Christine asked, glaring at Isabelle who was barely regaining her breath. That only sent Isabelle into another fit of giggles that she quickly smothered.

"Sorry about that Christine," Isabelle giggled. "It's just that... the man who sold you those books... He must have thought you meant porn when you said 'books suitable for young woman'. Oh god that's priceless!"

"I'm so embarrassed," Christine whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm so _so_ sorry Isabelle! I didn't know it was... _That_ kind of book! Please don't be mad! I'll take them back as soon as I can!"

"Oh Christine, I'm not mad," Isabelle imminently felt guilty for laughing at the almost crying Christine. She hugged her friend and held her tightly, Emma and Meg now calm and looking as guilty as Isabelle felt. "I know it wasn't your fault! And I'm sorry for laughing, it wasn't kind and I shouldn't have done it." She pulled back slightly and sent the girl a grin. "And I think I'm going to hold on to these... books... You never know when you're going to need them," Isabelle winked, causing the girl to blush. "Thanks for the gift, all the books are lovely."

"You sure you don't want me to return them? I mean what if someone catches you with them..."

"I know of only one other person who can read German in this opera house and that's my brother. He's not able to come into the dormitories so that means he can't access my books. So don't worry about it!"

Isabelle quickly thanked the three for the presents and then neatly put everything into her trunk. She kept one of the French books on her nightstand along with her music box. After every box and wrapping paper was thrown away, the three hurried to rehearsals. At first they thought they were going to be late but they got there right in time. Madame Giry nodded at them as they got into their spots and waited for their que to enter.

"That went extremely well," Isabelle said to Emma as the rehearsal ended for the day. "The dancing and singing was nearly perfect!"

"The only bad thing was Carlotta's singing," Emma muttered, looking at the diva with obvious disdain. "Ugh! She is positively the worst singer I've ever had the displeasure of knowing!"

"You said it," Isabelle nodded her head in agreement. They were on their way to the kitchen when Wilhelm met up with them, holding a bag in his hand. "Oh no..."

"Happy birthday, little sister," Wilhelm grinned and pulled his sister into a hug, kissing the top of her head. He pulled back and placed the bag in her hands. "I got you something... Don't give me that look! I told you I was going to get you something whether you wanted me to or not! Now open it, I want to see your reaction!"

Isabelle pulled the paper out of the bag and she let out a small gasp as her hand touched something cold. She closed her hand around it and pulled it out, eyes widening as she took it in. It was a silver arm band of a wolf eating its own tail and it had topaz for eyes.

_'It's so beautiful,'_ Isabelle thought to herself. "Thank you Wilhelm... It's amazing!"

"That's not all," Wilhelm beamed. "There's one last item in there..."

Isabelle gave him a look but smiled as she turned away and pulled out the other object. Her eyes once again widened as she took in the object. It was a long necklace with a snowflake. The pendent was made out of silver and had flecks of gold and blue in it. "Wilhelm... It's beautiful... Thank you so much big brother!"

She hugged her brother tightly and thanked him over and over, ignoring Emma who was snickering at the two. When she pulled away, she gently placed the jewelry into the bag and kept it close to her person.

"We should hurry to dinner," Emma said. "We don't want to get there and find that the food is gone!"

Isabelle ate her food quickly and once she was finished, she excused herself and hurried to the storage room. Fenris had been alone all day and she worried for him. As soon as she opened the door, Fenris was there and he jumped on her, licking her face out of joy. A giggled escaped her lips as she pushed her sobering wolf away and began to pet him.

"You're such a good dog," Isabelle cooed, placing her bag on the ground. "Just mama's little angel!" She placed a kiss on his head before she wandered over to his food and water, filling with up when she saw it was empty. Her nose scrunched up with distaste as she saw that Fenris had done his business on the ground.

_'What did I expect? He's been alone all day, no duh he needed to relieve himself,'_ Isabelle thought to herself as she cleaned up after him. She sat with him and played with him until she knew she couldn't stay any longer.

"I'll be back tomorrow, right before the show," Isabelle promised as she kissed his forehead again and grabbed her bag. She ran her hand through her hair, her mind running as she walked to the chapel.

_'This is the first year that I don't have father with me on my birthday,'_ Isabelle thought to herself, fingering the locket around her neck._ 'I hope he's okay... I wonder what he's doing. I miss him... This birthday has been great but I can't help but wish that father was here today. And my mother... What I wouldn't give to see her once more...'_

Isabelle walked down the stairs of the chapel and walked over to where the pictures and candles were. She sat in front of one of the holders and ran her hand along the picture. It was the one that she packed that was just her mother. The candle was already lit above it and the flame flickered from orange to blue.

"I hope you are doing well where ever you are, mother," Isabelle murmured as she traced her mother's face. "Wilhelm and I miss you a lot... I hope you are happy where ever you are, enjoying life and having fun." Isabelle sighed softly before standing up, dusting the dirt off her dress. "Well I better go now, I'll pray for you again soon..."

Isabelle bit back a yawn as she entered the dorm, rubbing her eyes as she walked. She heard Emma shout her name and she looked up to see excitement in the girl's eyes.

"Isabelle, you didn't tell me you had a suitor!" Emma exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Suitor? I don't have a suitor," Isabelle frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't have a suitor?" Emma's lips turned down in a frown to match Isabelle's. "But then who left the roses on your bed?"

"Roses?" Isabelle looked toward her bed, her eyes widening as she saw what was on her bed. In the middle of her bed there was a bouquet of lilac roses tied together with a white ribbon. There was a small wrapped box next to the flowers, the ribbon the color of blue fire and it shinned. Isabelle walked over to the roses and pulled one out, taking in the scent of the rose. She smiled softly at the smell, enjoying the beautiful aroma. "I wonder who these are from..."

_'I don't think it's Erik,'_ Isabelle thought, a little unsure._ 'He usually sends me white roses, not purple... And the color of the ribbon is off too, it's not black like usual. Well whoever sent them is very sweet...'_

"Lilac roses have always been my favorite," Isabelle told Emma, handing her a rose to smell. "They're so pretty!"

"You know what they symbolize, right?" Emma asked, handing the rose back.

"No," Isabelle shook her head. "What do they symbolize?"

"Well a lilac rose symbolizes enchantment," Isabelle saw Emma's eyes turn mischievous. "_And_ love at first sight!

"Really? Well I wonder who sent those then," Isabelle gently grabbed the bouquet of flowers and slipped the ribbon off, lying it on her nightstand when she slipped the flowers into her vase. "And I wonder whether they knew the meaning of the flowers."

"Probably," Emma said. "They're not exactly cheap, there one of the most expensive roses in Paris."

"Why?"

"They're a really rare type of rose, you have to order them out of Paris if you want them," Emma eyed the box curiously. "Whatever is inside the box might give you some clue about who sent the roses to you."

"Maybe," Isabelle quickly slipped the bow off, not bothering to toy with it. She took the wrapping off and slowly opened the box to see a silver charm bracelet laying across velvet filling. To the side of the charm bracelet, four charms laid, ready to be clipped. The first charm was a rose, painted red and green. The second charm was of a crouching wolf, looking like it was going to attack. The third charm was of a music note and had sapphire stubs running along it. And the last charm was of violin, painted cherry red with her initials on the side.

Isabelle lifted the bracelet up, a soft smile across her lips as she examined it. She still didn't know who had given it to her but she loved the gift just the same. After she and Emma had examined it enough, she clipped the charms onto the bracelet and slipped it over her wrist.

"I love it," Isabelle smiled, toying with one of the charms. "If I ever find out who gifted it to me, I'm going to hug the hell out of them..."

"Just make sure it's not some creepy stalker," Emma joked, earning a laugh from her friend. "Well we should probably get to bed, it's getting late."

"Indeed," Isabelle quickly slipped on her night-clothes before she slipped into bed, still smiling as she fell asleep.

* * *

Everything done the next day was a rush, everyone trying to get ready for the night. The ballerinas went over each of their dances at least twice before they did a dress rehearsal. Carlotta, the actors, and the singers went over their lines constantly, although Carlotta threw a fit when she had to repeat herself. The orchestra had to constantly stop where they were when Carlotta messed up or interrupted the song. Other than that, the dress rehearsal went decently well and they finished with a few hours to spare.

Isabelle was extremely nervous as the night drew closer and closer and she had to take deep breaths in order not to freak out. She knew she wasn't going to be on the spotlight and was probably going to go unnoticed. But she knew that her white hair was very noticable and would stand out in a crowd. Christine was also very nervous while Meg and Emma were excited and couldn't stop talking.

"Don't worry, Isabelle," Emma began, seeing her friend twist a strand of her hair nervously. "The audience won't even notice your white hair! They'll be busy watching us dance!"

"I hope so," Isabelle sighed and forced herself to calm down. She took a rose out from her vase and twirled it around nervously.

"Why don't you use dyes to darken your hair?" Meg asked. "We can borrow some from Bernadette and dye your hair quickly."

"I hate dying my hair," Isabelle shook her head. "The dye never stays for more than a week and even then it never looks right. It always makes me look like someone I'm not and I just can't stand my reflection. I'm just going to have to deal with my white hair."

"Ladies! It's time to get ready," Madame Giry called out to the girls, stepping into the dormitory. "Quickly, get your costumes on and remember to put your hair into either a braid or a bun!"

"Yes Madame Giry!" All the ballerinas said in unison, hurrying to where their costumes were. Isabelle grabbed her costume off of rack and went to where she shared a curtain with Emma. They both quickly slipped on their costumes and helped each other tie their corsets correctly.

"Do we put are hair into a bun or a braid?" Emma asked, looking from the pin to the ribbon. "I forget which section does which..."

"Braid," Isabelle replied grabbing two black ribbons and handing one to Emma. They quickly put their hair into braids and got to where the other dancers were beginning to stand. Once everyone was dressed and ready, Madame Giry went back and led them to where they would wait for their cue.

"Good luck," Madame Giry smiled at her ballerinas before hurrying away. Isabelle fidgeted in her spot, her nervousness reappearing as soon as it disappeared. Emma gave her friend an encouraging smile and patted her shoulder

_'I need to calm down and relax,'_ Isabelle thought to herself, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it._ 'I've done this before and I didn't freak out then. It's the same as any other opera or musical that I've been in, the only difference is the time. I've memorized every dance and song and I know that I can do it without messing up. No ones going to notice me if I do mess up so there's no need to worry. If I keep worrying then I'm going to mess up big time. And I don't want to disappoint Erik or Wilhelm... I just need to calm down...'_

Isabelle took another calming breath and she felt the worry slowly start to disappear. She stopped fidgeting and calmed down completely, trying to look confident and strong. The dancers all got ready when they heard the singing start to begin. Once the orchestra started playing, the ballerinas ran out gracefully and took their spots. As the dance began, Isabelle felt her confidence return and she danced gracefully, letting herself flow into the music.

Dance after dance they did, having a few costume changes in between. The opera ended beautifully, the audience standing up and clapping. The dancers went out as the curtain closed and they bowed to the audience before going back. Isabelle was panting by the time they got behind the stage, exhaustion coming from her and the other ballerinas. They were all proud of the work they did and thought the opera went amazing. The only thing Isabelle could criticize was Carlotta. She hadn't done a horrible job but she had exaggerated a few spots and messed up a few lines.

"I am very proud of you all," Madame Giry said, her eyes full of pride as she looked around at her ballerinas. "If you wish, you may go out and celebrate but don't stay up to late. We still have another show tomorrow night and the day after. Make sure to eat something before going off to bed!"

"Well I don't know about you guys but I'm going to go back to the dorm," Isabelle said, yawning behind her hand. "I don't have it in me to celebrate..."

"Me neither," Emma said, looking just as tired as Isabelle. "I think I'm going to go read and then sleep..."

"Well see you guys tonight than!" Meg said, grabbing Christine's hand and the two ran off. Isabelle chuckled before Emma and her went to the changing room. They slid off their costumes and put them back in their rack before putting on their night-clothes and heading back to their dorm.

"I could sleep for years," Isabelle said as she fell face-first on her bed, letting out a loud groan. She heard Emma snort as she sat on her own bed and pulled out a book. The white-haired girl stayed like that for a while before turning over and going to her trunk. Her hand stopped midway there when she spotted a familiar white rose sitting on top of it. She gently grabbed it and looked at it with curiosity as she saw a small note attached to it.

Isabelle glanced up to see if Emma was looking but the black-haired girl was to into her book to notice her. Once Isabelle was sure she wasn't looking, she slipped the note out and opened it. Isabelle read what it said silently in her head.

_Good job, little snowflake. Make sure to get plenty of rest. Your next lesson will be on the night of your last show._

_ -your Angel of Music_

"When the hell did I become little snowflake?" Isabelle asked aloud, her brows furrowed. She only realized that she had spoken aloud when Emma looked at her with confusion. Isabelle quickly crumpled up the note in her hand so Emma couldn't see.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"Oh uh nothing," Isabelle said nervously. "I just remembered that my uh brother called me that today and I was wondering why..."

"Oh! Well your hair does look a little snow," Emma shrugged before during back to her book, eyes scanning the pages. Isabelle let out a sigh of relief when she saw that she wasn't going to comment any further. She tossed the crumpled up note into her trunk while she added the flower into the vase. Emma yawned and blew out the candle near her. "Well I'm going to sleep so see you tomorrow..."

"Sweet dreams," Isabelle murmured before following her example, turning off the lights and burrowing into her blankets. She could hear faint singing coming from somewhere, the voice male and gentle. She was asleep before she could realize who it was.


	7. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello! Thank you all for reading, it means a lot! I want to give the guest who gave me correct German translations, it helped out a bunch! I will apply it to the fifth chapter soon, when I get the time! Again, thanks for reading, I hope you like the chapter! Enjoy!**

**Isabelle(3rd person):**

"As much as I loved doing that opera, I'm glad that we're finally done with it," Isabelle said as she toyed with her charm bracelet. The last show had finished and the ballerinas were waiting for Madame Giry to appear and tell them when their break was over. They were in the dormitories and were all chatting excitedly. "I can't wait for the next one! I wonder what it is..."

"I heard one of the musicians saying that it was going to be Romeo and Juliet," Meg said, excitement in her green eyes. "I hope it is! I love the play and I heard the opera is just as good!"

"Well I overheard the Monsieur Lefevre say it was either going to be Hannibal or Faust," Emma said, taking her hair out of its constricting braid. Isabelle froze and looked at Emma with worry, hoping that it wasn't Hannibal.

_'Since Christine isn't being taught by Erik, I don't know how this is going to play out,'_ Isabelle thought._ 'But I'm going to assume it's going to be similar to what happened in the movie since it seems to be following the movie, with the characters looking like the actors and all.'_

"What's the matter, Isabelle?" Christine asked, noticing the alarm and worry her eyes. "Are you feeling well?"

"I am fine, Christine," Isabelle snapped out of her thoughts and forced her worry aside. "Just thinking about..." She paused, wondering what to say. "...My home and all..."

"You must miss it," Meg said, frowning. "It's been three months right?"

"Just about," Isabelle nodded her head. "I hope my father is alright..."

"Attention ladies!" Madame Giry's voice suddenly rang out and the ballerinas turned to look at her. "I know I've already told you but I am very proud of you all. This has been one of the best shows we've had in a while. Now, we will have a one week break then it's back to business! Be here next Monday and make sure you are dressed and ready to dance by eight! The next opera we will be producing is Hannibal. Goodnight girls and I hope you enjoy your break!"

With that, Madame Giry turned on her heel and walked away from the dorm.

"Awe I wanted it to be Romeo and Juliet," Meg pouted, causing Emma and Isabelle to laugh. "It's not funny! I really loved the play..."

"There's always next time," Isabelle reassured. "I'm sure we're going to produce the opera sometime soon!"

"What are you guys going to do on the break?" Christine asked.

"I have absolutely no clue," Isabelle admitted. "It's not like I have anywhere to go or people to visit... So I'm probably just going to stay here and be bored out of my mind... Or maybe I'll go to the forest and take Fenris and Wilhelm with me."

"Well me and Christine are staying so I all of us can practice and go shopping together," Meg grinned.

"That reminds me!" Emma exclaimed suddenly. "I was supposed to ask you this last week but I barely remembered now! So I'm heading home for the break to visit my parents who own this estate and a good part of the forest behind it. I told my parents about you all and they wanted to know if you three would want to come with me and stay there for the break!"

"I would love to," Meg nodded her head excitedly. "I always stay here on breaks and it would be nice to get away from it for a week. I'm sure my mother won't mind, if I ask her she'll probably say yes."

"I want to go too," Christine said. "I'll have to ask Madame Giry but I'm sure she'll say yes to me if she says yes to Meg."

"I want to go but I'm not sure if I can," Isabelle said, frowning._ 'I don't know how Erik will react when I ask him,'_ Isabelle thought._ 'I don't think he wants me to miss a week of lessons but maybe if I promise to practice while I'm gone he'll say yes.'_ "I have to ask Wilhelm first... I don't know if he'll be able to take care of Fenris for me_ and_ clean out box 5 for me."

"You can take Fenris with you," Emma told her. "There's a big forest out there for him to run in!"

"I'll ask Wilhelm in the morning," Isabelle said. "When do you leave?"

"In the afternoon... I hope you three will be able to come, it's gets lonely when you're there alone."

They talked for a few more minuets before getting ready to sleep. Once Isabelle was sure they were all sleep, she slipped out of bed and headed for the chapel. She drew her cloak closer to her as she felt chills run down her spin. Isabelle looked around as she got to the chapel and spotted the candles that usually burned. She took a seat by them and sat up straight.

"Hello Isabelle," Erik greeted after a few moments of silence. There was a certain tone in his voice that made Isabelle know that Erik was about to say something she wouldn't like. Isabelle smiled none-the-less and nodded her head, knowing he saw the action.

Erik didn't say anything for a while after that and Isabelle could feel the tension in the air. She shifted around uncomfortably and looked around nervously as she waited for him to speak. But Erik continued to stay quiet and Isabelle began to wonder if he left.

"Are you there, Angel?" Isabelle asked after a few more moments of silence. A soft grunt from Erik was her only answer. Worry filled her eyes and a frown made its way to her lips. "Are you alright?"

"Of corse I'm alright, child," Erik responded a moment later, confusion evident in his voice. "Why do you ask?"

"You're just very quiet..."

"I am merely waiting for you to ask if you can go to the black-haired girl's house."

"Oh! You are?" Isabelle brightened slightly, glad that she wouldn't have to explain what she wanted to do. "So can I-"

"No," Erik deadpanned, not bothering to let Isabelle finish.

"You didn't let me finish," Isabelle pouted, trying to hide her disappointment.

_'This is so not over,'_ Isabelle thought to herself, suppressing a scowl that most would call unladylike. _'I'm going to convince you to let me go one way or another!'_

"I didn't need you to finish your question to know what my answer was going to be," Erik told her. Isabelle could practically feel him shrug. "Your lessons are more important than going to that girl's house."

"But Angel I'm only going to miss a week on lessons with you!" Isabella protested. "And even if I'm not having lessons with you, I'm still going to practice my singing."

"How do I know that your going to keep your word?"

"Well you're an Angel, duh! Of corse you're going to know whether or not I practice," Isabelle hid her smirk, practically hearing Erik freeze. "Please let me go, Angel! I promise that I'll practice extra hard and stay here longer during lessons after the break." She was met with silence and Isabelle decided that she would have to use her last resort. Isabelle looked up with large, pleading puppy eyes, a soft, hopeful smile across her lips. "Please Angel... It would mean the world to me..."

"...Fine..."

"Yay! Thanks Angel," Isabelle grinned in triumph. "Should we start the lesson now?"

* * *

"Are you almost ready, Isabelle?" Emma asked, poking her head into the storage room where Isabelle was. "The bags are all in the carriage!"

"Yeah, one second," Isabelle said, tightening the leather harness on Fenris. "I'll meet you and the others at the doors in a few moments!"

"Don't be too long!" Emma poked her head out and made her way to the entrance. Isabelle nodded her head in approval as she finally got the harness tightened and she began to walk out the doors with Fenris at her side. The halls were empty, almost everyone gone for their break. She only came across a drunk stagehand or cleaning maid once in a while. Isabelle and Fenris almost made it to the entrance when their path was blocked by Joseph Boquet.

"Excuse me Monsieur," Isabelle said, trying to walk around the man but he just stepped in front of her. "Is there something you need?"

"Aren't you a pretty thing?" Joseph grinned, ignoring her question as his eyes roamed her body. Isabelle could smell the alcohol in his breath. "What are you doing all on your lonesome?"

"Well I am trying to leave but a pig is blocking my path," Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

Isabelle huffed before side-stepping him and continuing on her way but before she got far she felt a hand slap her behind. She froze in her tracks and clenched her hands into fists. Anger filled her eyes and she snapped her gaze back, her eyes blue fire as she looked into Joseph's smug filled eyes.

"Fenris, _Fass_!" Isabelle commanded. The pure black wolf, hearing his mistress' order, flattened his ears on his head and bared his teeth, snarling as he crouched low. He hurled himself as Joseph and crashed into the man's side, knocking him to the ground before he jumped back to Isabelle's side.

"Now listen here, Joseph Buquet! I'm going to give you one warning... Don't you ever, _ever_ touch me again! If you do, I swear I will send my wolf on you and next time I'll let him bite you," Isabelle growled. "Your bones will make an excellent chew toy! Especially the limb that you love oh so much! Now good day, Joseph, may we never cross paths again!" Isabelle turned to her still snarling wolf and commanded, "_aus_, Fenris!"

The wolf imminently calmed down and the two made their way to the entrance. Isabelle was still beyond angry when she finally made it to where the others where Christine and Emma where, Meg nowhere to be seen.

"Are you okay, Isabelle?" Christine asked, noticing the anger that was coming from her friend.

"I guess... I just had a _wonderful_ encounter with Joseph Boquet," Isabelle said sarcastically.

"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Emma asked.

"No he just slapped my ass," Isabelle took a deep, calming breath in order to get her anger under control. "I got revenge though... I scared him shitless when I sent Fenris on him." She noticed the slight blushes on her friend's cheeks. "What?"

"We're still not used to a lady cursing..."

"Oh sorry about that," Isabelle chuckled. "Anyways, where's Meg?"

"Over here!" Meg called out as she heard Isabelle's question. She was walking toward them with a very smug Wilhelm by her side. Isabelle noticed the smug smile across her brother's face and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry about that! I lost my necklace and I couldn't find it for the longest time..."

"It's fine, there's not really any rush to leave..."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay alone?" Isabelle asked, looking at her brother with worry filled eyes. "I can stay behind if not! I don't really mind..."

"I'll be fine, Izzy," Wilhelm playfully rolled his eyes. "I won't be alone, both Jasper and Archer are staying so I'm not going to be alone. Besides, I have plans to meet up with a... friend I guess you can call him."

"A friend? I didn't know you made friends with someone outside the opera house," Isabelle frowned. "Who is it?"

"Sorry little sister, but that's a secret," Wilhelm smirked. "Now have fun at with the other girls and take care." He moved to hug his little sister when he saw her stiffen and glare at someone behind them. A frown stretched across his lips and he turned behind him to see that Isabelle was glaring at Boquet. "Isabelle, what did he do?"

"Oh it's nothing Wilhelm..." Isabelle said just as Emma said, "the pig slapped Isabelle on the behind..."

"What!?" Wilhelm growled, turning to glare at the man. "I'm going to kill him..."

"Will, it's not a big deal," Isabelle groaned. "I took care of it anyway! He's not going to be messing with me anymore..."

"I still want to kill him," Wilhelm muttered before turning back to his sister. "Why weren't you going to tell me?"

"I knew you were going to freak out so I decided to just stay quiet."

"I'm going to have to come up with something to give you so you can defend yourself," Wilhelm murmured, ignoring Isabelle's groan of dismay. "I'll have something for you when you get back... Now have fun, little sister!"

Wilhelm walked away, muttering under his breath as he walked back to the dormitories.

"Great," Isabelle sighed. "He's in big brother protective mode..."

"Sorry about that," Emma rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "If I knew you didn't want him to know I would've stayed quiet..."

"It's fine," Isabelle waved it aside before they began to walk out of the opera house and to the waiting carriage._ 'At least Erik wasn't there to hear what Joseph did... If he was, the man would be dead... Er, he would be dead sooner..._ Isabelle thought as she climbed into the carriage, Fenris jumping in after her.

"How long is the ride?" Meg asked as the carriage began to take off. She sat beside Christine with Emma and Isabelle sitting across from them.

"About an hour or two," Emma shrugged. "Maybe shorter, it won't be to long." She looked at her friends nervously, "I hope you don't mind my mother... She can be a little much..."

* * *

"It's so pretty," Isabelle murmured as she sat on a garden bench with Meg, Christine, and Emma. It was late in the night and the stars were shinning brightly in the sky. The four had been at Emma's house for a few days and they loved every moment of it. The servants and maids were kind, helping them out without hesitation when they asking for it. Emma's mother and father had been kind and had been excited to meet their daughter's friends. Although Isabelle was sure Emma's father had been a little overwhelmed by Meg's enthusiasm.

"Do you guys want to go horse-back riding?" Emma asked suddenly, standing up from her spot. "It would be fun! It's been months since I went on a midnight run... It's a perfect time to do it too! I mean look at the moon, it's full and it illuminates the ground."

"I'm up for it," Isabelle nodded her head, also standing up and stretching. "I don't remember the last time I went riding..."

Both Meg and Christine agreed to go and the four hurriedly went inside and got ready. Isabelle slid her shoes on before clasping her cloak over her shoulders, petting Fenris as she left with the others.

"Pick out which horse you want to ride while I go get the stable boy," Emma said before disappearing out of the stables. Isabelle looked around at the many horses and debated on which horse to choose. Her eyes locked on a pale gray mare with white mane and white splotches on her rear.

"I think I'm going with this one," Isabelle said to the others, walking up to the horse and rubbing her nose. Christine had chosen a dark brown and black stallion for herself while Meg had went with a pale yellow mare. A few moments passed before Emma came back with a half-awake stable boy. He looked at the horses they chose before walking to the back and beginning to saddle the horses.

"I'll take Valentine," Emma said to the boy, nodding her head to the white and black mare in the back. The girls talked quietly to themselves as they waited for the stable boy to finish saddling the horses. Once he finished, they thanked him and Emma handed in a pouch of gold coins, thanking him for waking up to help them.

"Emma, what's this horses name?" Isabella asked as she pulled herself on to the sable, riding side-saddle. The others were doing the same, although Meg was looking like she was going to do it the other way.

"Her name is Stardust," Emma replied before turning to Christine and Meg. "Christine, yours is named Beast while Meg's is named Lucky..."

Isabelle gently got her horse to walk forward and walk between Beast and Valentine. They chatted quietly with each other and they rode through the forest, taking turns and going down different paths and trails. There wasn't much noise in the forest except for the common owl hooting and the sound of a wolf in the distance. Emma had said not to worry about the wolves, saying that they wouldn't attack them.

They stopped riding as they came to a small lake that was surrounded by wild flowers. Isabelle slid off her horse and tied her to a tree before walking toward the water. Emma slipped a hand into the water before grinning, sending a handful of water in Isabelle's face. The white-haired maiden froze as the cold water touched her face and she glared playfully at her friend before sending water right back at her. Her plan failed. Emma ducked before the water hit her and instead it hit little Meg who gaped at them before joining in the water fight.

Christine was trying to stay out of it but she eventually joined when Emma splashed water on her. Their laughs rang through the forest and awoke everything that slept. Soon, they quieted down and stopped splashing, sitting down on the ground to dry off.

"That was the most fun I've had in years," Emma giggled, squeezing the water out of her hair. "I don't think I've had a splashing fight since I was ten!" Emma sighed softly before laying on her back, staring up at the stars. "I'm going to miss this when I'm older and married..."

"Me too," Christine and Meg agreed, staring into the pond.

"I guess I might too," Isabelle shrugged before grinning. "Although that's only if I become a bore and let my husband control my actions. And trust me, that's not going to happen!"

* * *

**Translations:**

Fass- _Terror_

Aus- _calm, settle down_


	8. Chapter 9

**Wilhelm(3rd person):**

The morning air was cool with the sun barley peeking out from behind the clouds. A soft breeze drifted through the air and sent dead leaves flying in its wake. Wilhelm ran his hand over his hair as he tightened the cloak around his shoulders, getting ready to head to lunch. The break was nearly over, only a day and a half left before the performers were supposed to be back. He didn't really mind, glad that when rehearsals began again, he would have work and not be bored.

"I'll see you later, Jasper," Wilhelm said, waving his hand at his friend as he headed down the stairs. He was meeting up with Raoul again for lunch, like they had been every other day. It had surprised Wilhelm by how well they got along, having believed that they would get into many arguments. But after the first meeting, they had formed a good friendship and talked together about thinks like the Opera Populaire, France, and Germany.

Wilhelm walked out of the Opera house briskly and headed down the streets, toying with the necklace around his neck. It had been given to him by Meg, right before she left to Emma's house with his sister and Christine. She had been shy as she gently handed it over to him, her pale cheeks had turned a dark shade of red that he found adorable.

When he had thanked her, she had begun stuttering and fidgeting with her dress, not meeting his eyes. Meg only looked back at him when he asked her if she would want to get dinner with him once she came back. Her excited answer of 'yes' had made a smug smirk on his face, relived that he hadn't been rejected but refused to show it.

"You're late," Raoul said as Wilhelm took a seat across from him and apologized. "I took the liberty of ordering for you... I hope you like chicken."

"I do, thanks," Wilhelm nodded his head and took a drink of the coffee that Raoul gotten him. He set the cup back down and went to ask his new friend something when he caught the man with his brows furrowed. "Is something the matter?"

"I have a lot on my mind right now," Raoul sighed. "I have all week..."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Wilhelm questioned. "It might help to get a second opinion..."

"So I met this... girl," Raoul began, Wilhelm wiggling his eyebrows as soon as it left his mouth. Raoul rolled his eyes with an amused grin, "It's not like that! Anyway, I met her about a week ago and she... looks so much like a sister of mine that I once had. She also looks a lot like my mother and I don't know how it's possible."

"Did your mother have an... affair?" Wilhelm questioned lightly, knowing how thin the line he was walking was. He knew how defensive people were about things like that, understanding since he went through it once before.

"I don't really know, she could've but the girl I met couldn't have been her child with another man. The girl had the same strange hair color and the same eyes... She looked more like my mother but I could see some of my father's traits in her. Even her name is the same... But it may just be a coincidence."

"It sure doesn't sound like a coincidence," Wilhelm shook his head. "I mean the girl looks like your parents, like your younger sister, and even has the same name. She has to be your sister and if she isn't then that's just plain creepy." Wilhelm frowned, "what happened to your sister anyway?"

"I don't really know," Raoul's brows furrowed. "It happened in the middle of a very cold winter and my little sister had only been two at the time. When I woke up in the morning, my family was panicking and calling for my sister and mother. I remember that we all went out looking for them, thinking that they were off in the forest. We knew they didn't go into town since all are carriages were there and none of the stable boys saw them disappear. So we waited and waited for them to return but they never did... At first my father thought she just left us but ended up deciding it wasn't the case since my mother had taken nothing."

"Did you ever find your mother?"

"In a sense... She found us," Raoul took a deep breath before continuing. "It was about twelve years after she first disappeared that she appeared on our doorstep, my sister would have been fourteen by then." Wilhelm stiffened, remembering how Isabelle was fourteen when their mother disappeared but he waved it away as just a coincidence. "Her blonde hair was filled with gray strands and her eyes... They were glazed over and looked dead...

"My brother recognized her imminently and brought her straight in, hugging her and crying, asking what happened. I remember that she had hugged him back but didn't say anything, just looked at him with eyes full of sorrow. She saw me and gave me the same treatment, hugging me tightly and kissing my cheeks but she still said nothing.

"When we asked about my sister, she just shook her head and looked like she was about to cry. My brother comforted her and we all went into the kitchens to get her water and make her comfortable. Once she found out my father died, she asked to go see his grave. We went and she cried, and she sang something to his grave... It was the first and last time I heard her talk since she got back. I was glad that she returned and that I had her back but... It was like she wasn't really there. She never did much, rarely ate and spent a lot of time in the bath...

"She always looked about the window and once in a while she would go outside and stare at the stars but it rarely happened. When my other sisters came to visit, my mother didn't recognize them and only stared as they talked to her. She died in her sleep about a year after she returned... That was two years ago... We never got her to reveal what happened to Isabelle..."

"Wh-what?" Wilhelm asked, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open._ 'It couldn't be! Oh please just be a coincidence!_ Wilhelm begged silently._ 'Oh god please don't let it be my sister Isabelle!'_

"Isabelle, that's what her name was," Raoul told him and looked at him with worry. "Are you okay?"

"What does she look like?" Wilhelm asked to softly to hear.

"Pardon?"

"What does she look like?"

"Oh! Well her hair is white, not like a very light blonde but actually white. Her bangs are black, I don't really know how but they are. She had blue eyes, ice-blue eyes... I remember my brother saying that when she got grumpy or hungry, they would darken and look like blue fire. I remember that she had a fair skin tone with a few freckles under her eyes... That's all I really remember..." Raoul looked over to Wilhelm and saw that he had frozen, his face pale and hands clutching the table harshly. "Are you alright?"

"The girl you think is your sister... Is she a dancer at the Opera Populaire?" Wilhelm asked slowly, forcing himself to relax and let the table go.

"How did you know?"

"Because she's my stepsister!"

* * *

**Isabelle(1st person):**

I peaked my head out the door, looking down the dark halls before I shuffled out of the room. My bare feet made little noise as I walked on the wooden floor, toward the back door. Tightening my cloak around my shoulders, I opened the back door and easily slipped outside. The early morning sun was barely visible above the tall pine trees of the forest. It's dark features brightening slightly do to the warmth of the sun. I walked off the porch and went into the garden, making my way to the center where a single rose-bush laid

It was filled with light pink rose blossoms and bright green leaves. I settled down on the bench in the garden and pulled out a small stack of papers, setting them down on my lap as I enjoyed the morning breeze. After a few moments of staying still and listening to the birds chirp, I grabbed the first paper off the stack and examined it. My eyes ran along the carefully written notes that I had taken during my lessons with Erik and I sat up straight when I read the note on posture. I coughed lightly to prepare my throat and I settled the stack of papers on the bench as I began scales

After I finished scales, I grabbed another paper that contained a list and checked off bullet points as I noted what I did and didn't do correctly. Once I finished, I did the same scale again and again until I did everything on the list correctly. I, after finishing both of my scales, took one more piece of paper and looked over the notes and lyrics to the song. Taking a deep breath, I began to sing,

_"Think of me, think of me fondly_

_When we've said goodbye_

_Remember me once in a while_

_Please promise me, you'll try!"_

"Brava!"

I let out a scream of surprise as I heard a combination of three voices and I jumped up, only to trip and fall on my face. A soft groan of pain left my lips as I pulled myself off the ground, turning to glare at the laughing Meg and Emma while Christine looked at the ground guiltily.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," I muttered sarcastically as I got up, dusting my night-clothes off in the process. "It's not like I fell on my face or anything..."

"Sorry about that, Isabelle!" Emma apologized as she finished laughing. "We didn't think you would re- Oh my god, your bleeding!"

"What?" I raised my hand to my face and felt for blood. A frown made its way to my lips as I felt nothing but when I got to my forehead, right above my left eye, I felt a small trickle of blood. Just great! The day we were going back to the Opera Populaire, I just had to get injured. Now Wilhelm is going to tease me about being clumsy!

And I don't even _want_ to think about what Erik will say... Maybe he won't notice it. Or maybe I can cover it up so he doesn't notice it... Ugh like that's going to work! I swear nothing gets past that man, or Angel since that's technically what I call him.

"We need to get that cleaned!" Emma said, grabbing my hand and pulling me back into the house, but not before I grabbed my notes and held them in my hands. As we got inside, I was ushered into the kitchen where Emma got one of the maids to get a first aid kit and another to help me. I waited patiently as the maid cleaned out the scrape but I refused to let them bandage it. It really wasn't even that bad, I felt like they were overreacting to the scrape.

Once they finally let me get up and going, I went straight to the room I was saying at and began to pack. We were supposed to leave in an hour and most of my things were already packed but I wanted to make sure I had everything. Fenris just watched from the floor, watching as I walked back and forth, grabbing everything that I had left out. I quickly bathed and dressed in my dark red dress and put on my cloak.

"Silver, red, and black do not go together," I mused aloud as I looked at myself in a mirror. I simply shrugged, "oh well I'll buy a black cloak next time I go shopping."

I nudged Fenris out the door as a servant came in and grabbed my bag. We walked to the front of the house slowly, meeting the others as we got to the front door. Emma said a tearful goodbye to her parents before we left and got into the carriage. As we got further away from the house, and Emma got less sad, we began to talk about the next opera.

"I can't wait," Meg said excitedly. "I've never seen this opera before and I can't wait to see the dances and the costumes! I bet they're going to be beautiful!"

"To bad this opera has a lot of singing for the female lead," Emma sighed. "Carlotta is going to ruin it... I wish the manager would just fire her already! She's horrible!"

"I couldn't agree more," I nodded my head. "Although I have a feeling the manager won't be telling her to 'get lost' anytime soon... But a girl could dream, right?"

"I still don't understand why you won't audition for the part," Meg frowned. "You're a great singer! Better then Carlotta and all the chorus girls."

"Thanks but I think you're exaggerating," I smiled. "I'm just... decent I guess..."

I wasn't trying to fish for complements or anything, I just truly didn't believe I was that good. Sure, I had gotten a lot better due to Erik but I still wasn't as good as I wished I was. There were far better singers than me, and those singers didn't have help from a male singer as great as Erik. They just had the raw talent that barley needed sculpting while my talent needed to be molded finely and treated carefully.

"She's not exaggerating, Isabelle," Christine spoke up, shaking her head slightly. "You truly do have an amazing voice, it's almost like an Angels... I admit," Christine looked down with embarrassment as heat flooded to her cheeks. "I'm jealous of you... I wish I had a voice like yours..." She mumbled the next thing under her breath and I barely heard what she said. "And your beauty..."

"My... Beauty?" I questioned, my brows furrowed. "Are you crazy, Christine? You're absolutely gorgeous, way prettier than me! I mean look at you," I gestured to her hair. "You're hair is such a pretty shade of chocolate brown and with curls, not like my straight stark-white hair that has a random streak of black. And you're eyes, there so doe-like and warm, definitely not like my sharp and cold ice-blue eyes... I don't know how you could be jealous of me!"

"You think so differently of your appearance then we do," Emma said suddenly, frowning. "You describe it with unflattering words... Do you truly not see the beauty that everyone else sees?" I shook my head. "You're hair isn't stark-white, it's white as snow and it almost seems to glow. And your black bangs contrast your hair and it makes the white even brighter. And your eyes aren't that sharp, they're more almond-shaped and your eyes may not contain the warmth that Christine's have, but they do contain a sparkle of mirth that _I'm_ jealous of!" Emma grinned as she saw the shock in my eyes. "I don't understand why you don't see the beauty in you that others see..."

"I've always been self-conscious," I admitted. "In my time, I was always surrounded by people with dark curly hair and eyes just as dark. I grew up believing that people looking like that were beautiful and people with looks like mine, not so beautiful. The few friends I had looked just like I thought beauty was and I felt like a potato compared to them. When I shared my opinion with them, they did nothing to comfort me or tell me different so I began to believe that I was unattractive. No one has ever said I was pretty or beautiful... Well except for my mother but that doesn't count.

"I had never been proud of my appearance or my voice, I always thought it was scratchy. The only thing I liked about myself was my ability to dance and play the violin. But where I came up, it doesn't really mean anything other than you have _some_ talent." I sighed, sending them a tired smile. "I'm sorry if I'm acting like a child that understands nothing. It's just a little... different to hear compliments from people. It's nice... Refreshing..."

"We don't mind," Meg reassured, grabbing my hand. "Everyone has their insecurities, you're no different then the rest of us! I promise you that!"

* * *

By the time we got to the Opera Populaire (we were over four hours late, mind you), we were all tired, both mentally and physically. In the middle of confessing our insecurities to each other, a wheel had broke off our carriage and we had to help the driver fit it. Let's just say that four, tiny teens weren't much help for the older man. By the time we had fixed it, our dresses had been covered in dirt. I had luckily taken my cloak off before going to help so it hadn't been damaged. Too bad I can't say the same for Meg and Emma, they hadn't listened to me while Christine had. Right after the wheel problem, we had come across a wash that had been empty of water before but had been filled to the top due to the rainy weather. We had to take a detour and it was the opposite of fun and relaxing.

"I just want to collapse into bed and never get up," I murmured as one of the maids of the Opera Popularie kindly offered to bring our bags to the dorms. I had a feeling she had pitted our dirty and exhausted states. Jasper had offered to take Fenris back to his storage room and feed and give water to him, God bless that man's kind soul. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to do it without taking a nap beside Fenris.

"Next time, we're going to get a younger driver," Emma decided, trying not to drag her feet. "That way, if a wheel breaks, we won't have to help and ruin our dresses." Emma paused for a moment, "I sound like a spoiled brat... Oh well I don't care!"

"Should we go tell my mama we're here?" Meg asked, also a little tired but she had the most energy. "I don't want to worry her!"

"I'm pretty sure she knows," I mumbled, nodding my head over to the stairs were Madame Giry stood, talking to one of the musicians I didn't know. Speaking of musicians... Where's Wilhelm? I didn't really feel like looking for him so I decided just to talk to him later.

Later turned out to be sooner than I thought.

As I was walking up the stairs, I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see Wilhelm grinning at me. I could see the strange look in his eyes, it was a mixture of worry and uncertainly, but I was to lazy to question it.

"Hey little sister," Wilhelm greeted, pulling me into a hug. "How was Emma's house?"

"Oh it was fun," I said tiredly. "We danced, went shopping, went for rides, and did normal girl things. The trip back home, however, was horrible..."

"I can see that," Wilhelm laughed lightly. "Just look at you! You look horrible!"

"Thanks, that's just what every girl wants to hear," I rolled my eyes.

"What happened to your face?" Wilhelm asked bluntly.

"I fell on it. I don't know if you've heard or not but I'm quite clumsy for a dancer!"

"So I've heard," Wilhelm grinned before his frowned. "Now I need to take you somewhere," he glared at me when I opened my mouth to protest. "Don't even try, I'm not taking no for answer! Go change and make sure to bring a cloak, I'm not sure what time we will be returning. We'll leave within the hour!"

"Yes big brother," I sighed before I shuffled to the dorms. It was empty as I opened the door and I guessed that the others went to either eat or bathe. I walked to my bed and saw that my bag was there and I quickly opened it, slowly putting my things back into my trunk. Before closing my trunk, I grabbed my sky-blue dress and flats, not bothering to wear heels or boots. I quickly went to the changing room and slipped into my other dress, putting my hair into a braid as I walked back.

I was about to leave when I saw the familiar white rose on my nightstand and I couldn't help but let out a groan. Did he really have to pick tonight of all nights to have lessons? I know he wants to see if I practiced like I said I would but didn't he think that I may be exhausted? Oh well, I need to stop complaining like a brat, I should have expected this when I agreed to have lessons with him. I stiffened suddenly, feeling like I was being watched. Was Erik watching me? I was probably just imaging it but just in case I whispered, "okay Angel, I'll be down for lessons tonight... I might be a bit late though so please be patient!"

I picked up the rose and was about to put it in the vase when I saw that the rose was different then the rest. It was still white but it was a cherry red in the center and the red extended to each of the petals. It was so beautiful and I couldn't help but smile as I removed the ribbon and put the rose in the vase. I grabbed my cloak and made my way down to the entrance of the opera house. Wilhelm met up with me as I got there and he lead us near the stables and helped me into a carriage. I thanked the kind old man who began driving the open carriage and turned to look at Wilhelm.

"So... Where are we going?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Somewhere fun?"

"No, definitely not fun," Wilhelm shook his head. "I learned a lot yesterday and everything evolves around you. I didn't want to tell you at the opera house because we might've had an unwanted... guest listening in. And... What I'm going to tell you might be hard to take in and you need to... see it, I guess, just to make sure you believe it."

"What are you talking about?" I frowned, suddenly feeling worried. He sounded like he was going to tell me something that I wouldn't like and won't want to believe. "Should I be worried?"

"Worried? No," Wilhelm sighed. "What you're going to learn is going to shock you and I want you to know that I'll be there when you need me."

"Where exactly are we going?" I looked around uncomfortably. I felt a shiver run down my spine when he answered.

"The cemetary."

* * *

**A/N: Hello! First off, thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. So I'm pretty sure the little 'twist' was pretty obvious since I left some not to subtle hints ^_^ And you've learned a little more able Isabelle and her personality and stuff... I hope her character isn't too much, I was a little iffy with her at the beginning. Anyways, I've rambled long enough! Once again, thank you all for reading, you're the best :3**

**Till next time!**


	9. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello! Thank you all for reading, it means a lot! For those who want to see more Erik, don't worry, he'll soon be more in the story! Just a few chapters to go before he and Isabelle actually meet and he reveals that he's the Phantom ^_^ To hopefully state your need for more Erik, I'll start this chapter off in his point of view. Once again, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Erik(1st person):**

My angel had returned! I could easily spot her snow-white hair from my perch near the ceiling. She was as beautiful as ever, even with her torn and dirty dress. For a second I wondered what happened but I didn't think too much about it because a moment later I saw the scrapes on her face. I was filled with anger at the sight and I growled, wondering who had dared to harm my angel. When I find out who did, I would make them pay. No one harms my angel!

I followed Isabelle as she began to walk up the stares and I saw her brother stop and hug her. A frown made its way to my lips and I felt a twinge of jealously pull at my heart as I watch a happy smile appear on her face. I wish I could make her smile like that...

"What happened to your face?" I heard her brother ask after a moment of talking. Imminently, I leaned forward, straining my ears to hear her answer. I needed to know so I can make whoever hurt her pay!

"I fell on it," Isabelle admitted, a little embarrassed. I blinked slowly, wondering how my angel could have been so clumsy. I felt a little foolish after I heard that she did it herself and that there was no one who I could actually punish. "I don't know if you've heard or not but I'm quite clumsy for a dancer!"

Seeing that she was about to leave, I headed out and took a tunnel that would lead down to my lair. Tonight we would have a lesson and I would see if she kept her promise or not. There was no doubt in me that she did but I still wanted to hear her improvement. I had taught her the basics of_ Think of Me_ from _Hannibal_ and was confident that she would be able to have it perfect by the first showing of it. My angel was nearly ready to go on stage, she just needed a little work here and there.

As I got to my lair, I plucked a white rose out of the vase and was about to go get the usual ribbon when I went back to the vase. I spotted a different kind of rose in the vase, something that Madame Giry usually didn't get for me. It was still a white rose but there was red in the center and was slowly going to the petals. It was simply beautiful and I pulled that rose out and put the normal white one back in. I liked this one better and decided that I would start to use this one instead. Before going to the dorms, I grabbed the normal black ribbon and tied it to the rose.

When I got to the dorms, I saw that Isabelle wasn't there but I did see a few things laying on her bed. I quickly stepped out of the passage way and hurried to her bed, laying the rose on her nightstand. As I was walking back to the tunnel, my eyes caught sight of something on her bed and I blushed when I realized what it was. Forcing myself not to stare, I quickly made my way to the tunnel and shut it behind me, not wanting to remember the color of what I guessed was her undergarments. A moment passed and I saw Isabelle return to the dorm. I watched as she walked to her bed and groaned at something, what, I don't know.

"Okay angel, I'll be down for lessons tonight... I might be a bit late though so please be patient," I wondered what she meant but I didn't say anything. I watched as she picked up the rose and she froze as she looked at it before a smile made its way to her lips as she gazed at the center. She liked it! I felt a flare of triumph as I watched her smile before I turned back to walk to my lair, glad that I decided to pick the strangely colored rose.

* * *

**Isabelle(1st person):**

I was glad that I had brought my cloak with me as soon as we entered the cemetary. It was cold and gloomy with thick fog surrounding the area. Wilhelm told the driver to be back in an hour before he lead me through the cemetary, toward the back. I looked over the many statues with curiosity, wondering who carved out some of the beautiful statues of angels and knights.

We passed many headstones and graves and I began to wonder where we were going as we walked farther and farther into the cemetary. My brother said nothing, just stared ahead with this distant look in his grey-blue eyes. I eyes widened as I saw the familiar crypt up ahead, reading the name _Daae_ above it. I wondered if Christine visited often...

"We're almost there," Wilhelm spoke up, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "Only a few more rows down..."

I nodded silently and continued to walk, looking around at the graves every once in a while. As we got closer to the end, I spotted someone standing over a grave, running their hands over one of the headstone. My eyes widened in surprise as I recognized the person and I saw that Wilhelm was leading me toward him.

"Hello Raoul," I greeted softly, sending the man a smile. Wilhelm and I stopped walking as we reached him, both men sharing a look that I didn't understand. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting," Raoul hesitated for a moment, "...our mother..."

Oh he's visiting our mother! I remember that he said something about her disappearing. I didn't know that he had found her... Wait a moment... He said _our_ mother! Our mother!?

"What!?" I squeaked loudly, my eyes wide with shock as I gaped at him. "Our mother!?"

I listened intently as Raoul and Wilhelm began to explain everything to me, starting from the beginning. My eyes were wide the whole time they spoke and I didn't say a word, only nodding my head so they knew that I was paying attention. For a moment when they were explaining, I felt like I was going to flip out and have a panic attack or pass out. It was so much to take in and I didn't want to believe anything that they were saying.

I didn't understand how it was even possible! My mother had said nothing about this or anything about a brother or sister that I might have had. If this was true then she kept so many things from me and my stepfather. I was pretty sure my mother never told my stepfather because he was horrible at keeping secrets and would have blurted it out on some occasion.

"Are... Are you completely sure that we have the same mother," I asked shakily as Raoul and Wilhelm finished explaining what they knew to me. I had been gazing at my mother's headstone when they were explaining it to me. Her name was carved into the stone along with her lifespan and a small detailed portrait of her. It looked exactly like my mother, her heart-shaped face filled with freckles and her curly hair caressing her high cheekbones.

"There's no possibility that it's only a coincidence," Raoul said, nodding his head as he looked at me.

"But how is it possible?" I asked, turning to look at both Wilhelm and Raoul. "Did Wilhelm tell you about us?" Raoul nodded his head. "So you know that we're from the future?"

"Yes but I admit it was a little hard to believe at first," Raoul admitted. "But after he showed me evidence that what he said was true, I believed. Although I kind of wanted it to be untrue... It's a little to strange for me to think about." Raoul sighed, "at least I know what happened to mother..."

"I agree," I murmured as I crouched down by my mother's grave and ran my fingers along her name. A large part of me wanted to cry for now I knew that my mother was dead and there was no way in getting her back. But I kept it together and refused to break down in front of the others. I cried over her enough, I didn't need to do it now. It was a lot to take in and a part of me didn't want to believe Raoul and Wilhelm. My mother and I were from the past then were sent to the future and we were sent back to the past. How was it possible? Was it some kind of magic? Was it God's work? Fate?

I wonder if mother knew how it happened... I wished she was here now more than ever. All I wanted was to get an answer from her and understand what the hell was happening. And what was I supposed to do now? Am I supposed to go live with Raoul since he was my brother? I don't want that! I just want to go back to the Opera Populaire and continue living like I was.

"Where do we go from here?" I asked, standing up and turning back to my brothers. It felt weird thinking that... Now I have two biological brother, Raoul and I believe Philippe, and one stepbrother, Wilhelm. Am I supposed to choose between them? I don't want to choose between them but if I had to choose I would pick Wilhelm. As much as I want to get to know my other brothers, I couldn't leave Wilhelm who has been with me since I was two. "What's going to happen?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," Raoul frowned. "I haven't told our sisters or Philippe about you yet nor have I told anyone else. We're the only three who know..."

"Should we keep it that way?" Wilhelm questioned. "I mean I know how brutal nobles of Paris are. If they learned that a De Changny was a dancer in an Opera Populaire, you would be disgraced and you wouldn't hear the end of it. Your family wouldn't be as respected as they are now if you confessed and it the other nobles will probably give you a lot of trouble."

"I don't mind keeping it a secret," I said after a few moments. "That way I don't have to give up my career or my friends... And I don't really think that I would do good as a noblewoman of Paris. I'm too outspoken and loud..."

"If that's what you want," Raoul nodded his head. "But I'm going to have to tell Philippe, he knows when I'm keeping something from him. I'll explain everything to him and make sure he doesn't say anything. I'm sure after I tell him, he's going to want to meet you. He was very close to mother before you two disappeared and he's probably going to want to know if she was happy before she came back."

"I understand," I sigh softly, rubbing my eyes. "We'll have to meet up sometime on Sunday or after four p.m on the other days since I'm going to begin rehearsals again."

"We should meet up every other Sunday," Raoul said. "I want to know more about my sister and make up for lost time."

"I would like that," I smiled, feeling glad that Raoul wasn't an ass or a fop like a lot of people think. I still remember all the fanfictions I've read that made him seem like a bad guy when he's really not. "Now please excuse us, I'm very tired and wish to return home so I can sleep."

"Of corse," Raoul bowed his head. "I will see you soon... sister. And you too Wilhelm, I'll talk to you soon."

"Goodbye brother," I giggled and left with Wilhelm. But before we got far I turned back and grinned at Raoul, "you know, I'm glad we agreed to remain friends! Because if not, this would have been_ really_ awkward!" Raoul just laughed and me and Wilhelm continued on our way.

"What did you mean by that?" Wilhelm asked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out," I grinned. "Now hurry up, big brother, I'm tired!"

"You... You still think of me as your big brother?" Wilhelm's eyes were wide. "Even though you have two other brothers that actually share the same blood?"

"Of corse, Will," I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't matter if we share the same parents, you were there for me my whole life and that's all that matters. No matter what happens or what I learn, you're always going to be my big brother!"

* * *

It was almost night when we got back to the Opera Populaire, the sun barley disappearing. I didn't think it would take this long to get home but Wilhelm insisted on going to the market to buy a few things. And by few things I mean him buying a sword and dagger while I got a new cloak- a black one with red thread.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?" I asked as we walked into the opera house. I looked around and noticed that it was mostly empty, only one maid still running around. They must all be at dinner or something. "I don't remember you taking any lessons back home."

"Archer showed me a few things," Wilhelm explained but I still wasn't convinced that he would be able to use the sword that well but I said no more on the subject.

"Well I'm going to get something to eat before going to sleep," I yawned. "I'll see you tomorrow..."

I slowly walked to the kitchens and when I almost there, I felt like I was being watched. Slowly, I looked behind me and around in search of the person watching me. But I found no one and simply shrugged, telling myself that it must be Erik since I couldn't find the pairs of eyes.

"There you are, Isabelle!" Emma exclaimed as I walked into the kitchen and got a plate of food. "We were wondering where you went!"

"Sorry about that, Wilhelm took me somewhere," I said as I slid into the seat beside Meg and began to eat. "I just got back five or ten minuets ago."

We talked for a while before we went up to the dorms and got ready for bed. I was tempted to just fall asleep like the others once I slid into bed but I knew that I couldn't. The others fell asleep quickly and I didn't have to wait long to get going. Before I left, I slipped on my black cloak and grabbed my notes. I was looking through my notes as I walked and I groaned when I saw that I had dried blood on one of the papers. Just great! Now I have to rewrite the notes again _and_ try not to let Erik see because if he does notice the blood, he's probably going to freak out.

I got to the chapel quickly and I walked in, sitting down on my normal spot by the picture of my mother. As I looked at the picture, I felt the same tightening in my chest and I wanted to cry again. But, once again, I refused to let my tears shed, telling myself that I would later. Maybe when I went to sleep. Definitely when I went to sleep...

"Are you there, angel?" I asked, looking away from the picture of my mother.

"Yes," I heard Erik speak softly although I could hear the excitement in his voice. I guess he was excited to see how far I got or something. "I assume you had a good break?"

"Indeed! It was enjoyable but the ride back... not so much," I sighed as I remembered the ride. "Are wheel came off on the way back and me and the others had to help the driver fix it. And then this wash was filled and we had to go around it and let me tell you, it wasn't fun!" I heard Erik chuckle. "Oh laugh all you want angel, because when something annoying happens to you, I'm going to be the one laughing!"

"I'm sure you will be," he replied back, his voice filled with amusement. "Now, have you been practising like you promised?"

"Of corse! I wouldn't lie to you," I smiled. "I practiced every morning before the others woke up so no would notice! Although I was caught this morning but they only heard the last bit of practice."

"Let's see how you improved!"

I nodded my head and quickly fixed my posture, getting ready to do scales. Once he said for me to begin, I took a deep breath before beginning the scales, making sure to do everything correctly. He told me to fix a few things before I did the scales again. Once he was satisfied, he told me to sing the aria we were working on from the beginning.

"Very good," Erik praised as I finished the song, pride in his rich velvet voice. I beamed where I sat and smiled brightly. "But there are a few things to work on..." The lesson went by quickly and I said goodbye to Erik before I left, more tired than I was before. And as soon as I fell into bed, I was asleep.


	10. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello! I'm hope you're enjoying my story so far! So this really isn't that much of a real chapter, just a collection of things that happened in the three months that **_**Hannibal**_** and **_**Il Muto**_** were being rehearsed. And you know what that means... The movie/broadway is about to start! The next chapter will start at the beginning of the movie ^_^ **

**I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

**Isabelle(3rd person):**

Isabelle let out a soft sigh as she rested her feet, leaning back on her hands as she closed her eyes. Rehearsals for _Hannibal_ had been going on for over a week and half. Everything had been going good, the dances pretty easy to learn and there weren't many problems that they had to face. There was talk that they were going to learn another opera at the same time since the one they were working on was going so well.

"What do you think the other opera were going to do is?" Meg asked, sitting down beside Isabelle and Emma. "I still hope it's Romeo and Juliet..."

"I think it's going to be _I___l_ Muto,_" Isabelle said, glancing over at her friend. She knew that things were starting to lead up to the movie and knew that it had to be_ Il Muto._ "I heard someone talk about it the other day..."

"Isn't that a comedy?" Emma asked, turning to look at us with curiosity. "I didn't know we did comedies..."

"We did one before," Christine said, walking over to the group and taking a seat. "But it was before you joined the opera house..."

"Did it turn out well?"

"Very! We had to play it a few extra times since more and more people wanted to watch it," Christine smiled. "That was a fun year..."

"Maybe it'll happen this year too!" Meg said excitedly. Isabelle winced, knowing that it would be the exact opposite of what they wanted. They talked for a few moments more before Madame Giry called them back to continue the rehearsals. It was all going good until Carlotta appeared and began to make a big fuss over everything.

"Ugh! Can she not act like a spoiled brat for one damn day?" Emma growled, glaring harshly at the Prima Donna. Isabelle blinked slowly in surprise, having never heard Emma let out a word that most people would consider unladylike. "It's not our fault that she can't get the note!"

"Just ignore her," Isabelle said, trying to calm down her friend. "If you do, maybe she'll leave and our ears will be saved from her horrible singing."

Soon enough, rehearsals were over and Meg and Isabelle were heading to the music room for their violin lessons. As they walked in, they spotted Wilhelm putting his cello away.

"Hey big brother," Isabelle greeted, sending her brother a smile. Meg perked up when she spotted the boy and she fixed her posture and smiled. "Whats keeping you here? You're usually gone by the time Meg and I get here!"

"I had to fix a string," Wilhelm explained, sending Meg a dazzling smile. "It broke during one of Carlotta's rants. Hello Meg! Are you up for dinner tonight?"

"Tonight?" Meg asked with wide eyes. Isabelle frowned, looking between her brother and friend. "Of corse! I would love to! What time?"

_'Wait a moment... When the hell did this begin?'_ Isabelle asked silently._ 'When did Wilhelm start to date Meg? Or court? I think that's what they call it. And when did they plan to tell me? I could've been teasing them by now!'_

"I'll meet you by the entrance of the opera house around seven," Wilhelm smiled. "See you soon! Bye little sister!"

"Okay when did you guys begin to court?" Isabelle asked as soon as Wilhelm was out of sight. Meg blushed darkly at the question and didn't look her in the eyes.

"I wouldn't exactly call it courting... I don't know if he wants to marry me or anything," Meg murmured and looked up, catching the unconvinced look Isabelle was sending her. "Okay, okay! We started to... court... a few days after we came back from the break. We've went out a few times already... I'm surprised you haven't noticed!"

"I've been... busy," Isabelle shrugged, knowing that she hadn't been paying attention because she had been busy with rehearsals, lessons with Erik, and the upcoming meeting with Philippe and Raoul. A few days before, Raoul had sent her a letter asking to visit on the next Sunday to meet her other brother. "Now c'mon, we need to start lessons!"

* * *

**Isabelle(1st person):**

"Are you sure you don't need me to come with you?" Wilhelm questioned as he escorted me to my carriage. It was already Sunday and I was about to leave to meet Raoul and Philippe. "I'll come if you want! All I need to do is grab my cloak and I'll be ready-"

"I'll be fine, Wilhelm," I laughed softly and shook my head, making my bangs fall into my eyes. I pushed them behind my ears as I said, "I can do this myself, I don't need you to babysit me!" I climbed into my carriage and gave Wilhelm one last hug. "Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine!"

The ride to the De Changny estate was boring and uneventful, nothing interesting happened and the ride was made in silence. Although I did sing softly once in a while but that was it. It took a few hours to get there and I wasn't looking forward to the ride back. I was thankful when we pulled into the gates of the land, glad that I wouldn't have to stay seated in that tense, uncomfortable carriage.

As I stepped out of the carriage, I straightened my dress and fixed my cloak, pushing my bangs behind my ears. I made sure I looked fine and presentable before I walked toward the front of the house and knocked. Almost instantly the door opened and a young maid opened the door, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Hello mademoiselle," I greeted, offering the maid a kind smile. "Would you please inform Monsieur Raoul that Isabelle is here? I believe he is expecting me..."

"Oh he told me to look out for you," the maid said and ushered me in, taking my cloak off and hanging it on a hook. "I'll take you to him right away!"

I was led through the extremely beautiful house and to a room at the back of the house. The maid opened the door and announced my presence before I walked in with my head held high in an attempt to be confident. Raoul smiled once he saw me and he dismissed the maid, telling my to take a seat. I did and when I turned to look at him, I saw another man sitting at the table. He was older than Raoul, obviously, and had dirty blonde hair that was swept back and blue eyes that were kind but held a touch of coldness in them. I guessed he was Philippe.

"So you're our long-lost sister," Philippe said slowly, looking me over as if trying to make sure I really was the Isabelle they lost. "I can see the resemblance of mother in you... How was she? When she was with you I mean?"

"She was great," I smiled and began to tell them both about my time with mother. I explained all the silly things that had happened and how happy she was. It them both smile when I told them about our relationship and how close we were. Philippe was a little wary when I explained to him about Wilhelm and my stepfather but he seemed to accept it when I explained how much they loved us and how much we cared for them.

We talked for hours, me telling them about mother, my life, interests, and career. In return, they would tell me things about themselves and the family. I was a little surprised when they said it was best to keep me a secret from my sisters since they weren't good at staying quiet and would blurt something out to their husbands. Philippe had agreed that it was best to keep me a secret from most of the Paris nobles, saying that it wouldn't be wise to say anything. I couldn't agree more.

I was a little sad when it was time to leave but we promised to meet up again next week and talk more. Although Raoul said it would probably only be me and him since Philippe is very busy and doesn't have much time to himself. I didn't mind though, I was just happy that he excepted me without demanding to know everything about me.

"I'll see you later, _Goldjunge_," I said, hugging Raoul tightly. "It was nice getting to know my brothers."

"_Goldjunge_?" Raoul questioned with a raised brow. "Is that German for something?"

"Yes! It means golden boy," I smiled. "Hey don't give me that look! I can't call you brother in German because it sounds to suspicious so I had to improvise!"

* * *

**Isabelle(3rd person):**

"Maybe I should've picked a different day to visit," Isabelle murmured as she stepped out of the carriage and into windy air. The trees shook from the wind and sent dust and leaves into the air. It also looked like it was going to rain, the clouds a combination of dark greys and whites. "To late to turn back now..."

Isabelle pulled her cloak's hood further up so it could protect her from the wind. She gripped the bouquet of dark purple tulips tightly in her hands, not enough to damage the flowers, but enough to keep a good hold on them. The walk though the cemetary was made in silence, Isabelle walking carefully to avoid the graves and headstones. No one else was in the cemetary and it looked like no one had been there in a while. There were no tracks or flowers placed by graves.

"Hello mother," Isabelle murmured softly as she kneeled down beside her mother's grave. She dusted the leaves and dirt from her grave, taking the dead flowers out of the vase that was placed by her grave. "I brought you some flowers... Tulips, your favorite..." Isabelle placed the flowers in the vase and silently scolded herself for not bringing water. "I should have brought some water with me but I didn't think about it..."

Isabelle sat down on the ground, not caring if her dress got dirty or that it wasn't proper. "I hope you don't mind me sitting down but my feet have been hurting. I bought a new pair of dancing shoes and I still haven't broken them in yet. Wilhelm thinks it's the funniest thing ever since he told to soften them first before using them for rehearsals. I think being right has gone to his head!"

_'This isn't the same,'_ Isabelle thought, pulling her legs close so she could wrap her arms around them and lay her head on her knees. _'I wish I could just talk to you one last time...'_

"I miss you mom," Isabelle murmured, rubbing her eyes that were beginning to water. "It hurts to think that I'll never be able to speak to you again or hear you laugh and tease me or Wilhelm." Isabelle continued to wipe her eyes as she spoke. "And there's so many things that I don't understand! Why did you never tell me where we really came from? Were you afraid that I would freak out? Actually, now that I think about it, it probably was a good idea to keep it a secret. I would have probably fangirled hardcore when I was fourteen and learned that Raoul was my brother.

"Now I understand why you loved the movie as much as I did... You got to see your son every time you watched it." Isabelle grinned, "And now I understand why you always rooted for Raoul while I rooted for Erik." Isabelle paused as she thought over what to say next, "since you're in the afterlife now," she held her tears at bay, "you've probably seen me having lessons with Erik. And if I know you, you're probably freaking out and yelling for me not to do it. Just please don't worry for me, I know what I'm doing... Or at least I hope I am.

"Wilhelm was going to visit you to today but he forgot he promised to take his girlfriend to lunch," Isabelle giggled softly. "They're so adorable! I knew that Meg liked him but I never suspected that he would like her back. I warned him that if he broke Meg's heart I would kick his ass because Meg is just so sweet and nice and doesn't deserve to be hurt! Now if only I can find someone to love... Oh well it doesn't matter at the moment, I still have a lot of time to find it!

"Have you seen Emma yet? She's become my best friend since I got here... I'm glad I met her, I've never had a friend like her before. I'm close with Meg and Christine too, but not as much as I am with Emma. And did you see mom? They didn't think my hair was ugly, they thought it was pretty! That was the first time someone other than family told me so! Oh you would love them if you met them! And they would love you too, I'm sure of it...

"Mom... I haven't told anyone, not even Wilhelm, but I'm scared! I don't understand why I'm here or what I'm doing! I know Wilhelm and I being here changed something, since Christine isn't being trained by Erik, and I don't know whats going to happen because of it... Something tells me that I took Christine's place in the story and I'm scared because of it. I'm worried that I'm going to mess something up and cause people pain and I don't want that. I... I just wish you were here to help me and guide me!

"I miss you so_ so_ much! Something bad is going to happen mom, I can feel it but I don't know what it is or how to stop it. I need you so much right now!" Isabelle buried her head in her hands and for the first time since she heard of her mother's death, she allowed herself to cry.

* * *

**Erik(3rd person):**

"That violinist has to go," Erik decided as he watched the rehearsals from his seat in box five. He noted which seat the overly sharp and speeding violinist sat at. Every other musician was doing well, although he could tell someone in the brass section was a bit flat in the beginning of rehearsals but it was quickly fixed. His eyes strayed to Isabelle and he saw that she looked uncomfortable as she danced, staying lighter on her feet than usual. There was also a look of pain that sometime crossed her face and it made him worry.

He couldn't see any wounds on her and he wondered what was wrong. It couldn't be her shoes since he remembered her saying that she finally broke them in during one of their lessons. As their lunch break came in, Erik decided to get closer so he might hear what was paining Isabelle.

"Are you doing okay, Isabelle?" Erik heard the girl, Emma, ask with sympathy in her voice. "I didn't know you got pains this bad!"

"I'm fine, I can ignore the cramps pretty easily," Isabelle replied back a moment later. Erik's brows furrowed, wondering why she was getting cramps.

_'Maybe she's eating too much in the morning,'_ Erik thought. _'Or drinking too much or too less...'_

"What I can't ignore..." Isabelle continued, catching Erik's attention. "Is my damn craving for chocolate! Milk chocolate to be specific... I can almost taste the sweetness..."

"That I can understand," Emma said. "I always crave chocolate around my time... I usually keep a stash of chocolate in my trunk but someone," she turned and mock-glared at Meg. "Got into it when I wasn't looking!"

"I'll go bug Wilhelm to go get me some after rehearsals," Isabelle shrugged.

_'I'll go get you some, my angel,'_ Erik thought to himself, hoping that if he did, he would be able to see the girl smile._ 'I know the hag Carlotta has a stash of them in the Prima Donna room... I'm sure she won't notice if some of them are missing.'_

Erik quickly made his way through the tunnels below the opera house and came to the mirror. He eased the mirror open when he saw no one around and he began to look for the chocolate. The flowers that filled the room made it hard for him to find the stash and he was getting annoyed that he couldn't find them. He was about to go back in the mirror empty-handed when he caught sight of a blanket covering something on a table toward the back of the room.

_'Might as well see what it is,'_ Erik thought to himself as he quickly made his way to the blanket and lifted it up. His eyes shinned with triumph as he spotted numberous boxes of chocolate and he picked up a few of them that were milk chocolate. He covered the chocolates back up as he finished grabbing enough boxes and he made his way out, locking the mirror behind him. As he got back to his lair, he put the boxes down on one of the tables before picking up on of the smaller boxes and taking a piece of chocolate out. He debated on whether or not to eat before he shrugged and threw it into his mouth.

"This is delicious," Erik moaned, holding his hand to his normal cheek. "I can see why Isabelle is craving it..." He looked over the five boxes he took from Carlotta and grabbed three of them before heading to the ballet dormitories. "I'm sure my angel wouldn't mind if I kept two of them..."

* * *

**Isabelle(3rd person):**

Something was wrong. Something was so very, _very_ wrong and Isabelle knew it. She was forgetting. Forgetting what was supposed to happen next. She didn't know how or why but she couldn't remember what was supposed to happen next. Isabelle remembered small, minor details but nothing that was important or life changing. She could remember some of the songs that were in the movie and musical but nothing else. It was like her memory of the movie was erased, only leaving things that wouldn't affect the plot of the movie.

Isabelle was pacing in the storage room, wringing her hands out as she tried to remember something, anything. Fenris watched with a tilted head, as if confused by his mistress' worry. Her brows were furrowed and her lips were set in a thin line.

"Why can't I remember?" Isabelle asked herself, stopping in her pacing and holding her head in her hands. "Is there something I'm not supposed to prevent?" Isabelle groaned as she still couldn't come up with an answer. "I need to go talk to Wilhelm, maybe he'll know whats going on."

Isabelle kissed Fenris on the forehead before she left, hurrying to the music room. She knew that Meg and Wilhelm had met up there to practice with each other. She didn't want to interrupt their alone time but Isabelle needed to get an answer. The walk to the music room didn't take long and as soon as Isabelle opened the door, she saw both Wilhelm and Meg playing their instruments. They stopped playing as they saw Isabelle and the look of worry on her face.

"Is everything alright, Izzy?" Wilhelm asked, putting down his cello while walking over to his sister. "You look worried? Did..." He paused before he began to speak to her in German. _"Did the Phantom talk to you?"_

_"No it's not that,"_ Isabelle shook her head._ "Wilhelm, I'm forgetting!"_

_"Forgetting what?" _Wilhelm asked, frowning.

_"Forgetting what's supposed to happen next," _Isabelle clenched her fists. _"I can't remember whats supposed to happen at the end of the month, when Hannibal first plays. I know something serous is supposed to happen but I don't know what! I can't remember..."_

_"It's not just me then," _Wilhelm let out a sigh of relief, catching the look Isabelle sent him. _"What?"_

_"I didn't think you paid attention to the movie!"_

_"I didn't," _Wilhelm shrugged. _"The only thing I ever paid attention to was the end and I don't even remember it anymore."_

_"Do... Do you think we should be worried?" _Isabelle asked after a moment. _"Is it a bad thing?"_

_"I have no clue... Maybe were just not supposed to remember... It might be better this way. Now, we're not going to be able to interfere with the future. It might be that history is supposed to go this way and it doesn't want us changing something that needs to be left alone. I don't think we need to be worrying!"_

_"Are you sure?" _Isabelle looked at her brother with wide, hopeful eyes.

_"Yes, not quit worrying," _Wilhelm flicked a strand of her hair. _"It's all going to be for the best, just you watch!"_

* * *

"Thank god we're almost done practicing _Hannibal,_" Isabelle murmured as practice finished for the day, most of the ballerinas heading back to the dorms to undress. Only Isabelle, Emma, and Meg stayed, the former sitting on the stage while the other two continued to practice the dances that they would have to do for the opera. "We really need to work on the dances from _Il Muto,_ I know I'm struggling with the dance in the last act."

"As am I," Emma sighed, running her hand through her silkily black hair. "I cannot for the life of me remember to only twirl once and to take four steps instead of six! I blame my horrible memory..."

"Or perhaps its because you were ogling Archer when Madame Giry explained it to us," Meg teased, giggling softly when Emma's face lit up in a bright blush. "If I do remember correctly, you couldn't keep your eyes off him. Poor boy looked like he was going to explode from a combination of delight and embarrassment!"

"That was only once!" Emma protested, embarrassment bright in her eyes before a look of equal mischief shinned in her eyes. "At least _I _wasn't the one that caused three dancers to trip and fall when a certain someone was staring at the grey-eyed German boy!"

Isabelle let out a bark of laughter when Meg's face turned the color of a tomato and she buried her head in her hands, remembering what had happened only a week before.

"It's not my fault! His shirt was riling up and I saw his..." Meg froze when she realized what she had just admitted and her face turned an even darker shade of red as she murmured, "oh kill me now!"

"I guess the view of pleasant since you couldn't stop staring," Isabelle laughed then let out a grimace. "The word 'pleasant' shouldn't ever be used to describe my brother..."

Finally shaking off her embarrassment, Meg lifted her gaze up and grinned brightly at Isabelle. "Sadly, it's a word that describes him quiet well! Especially his voice! Your brother has a beautiful voice!"

"I did not expect to hear that being said when I came down here," Wilhelm commented as he walked on to stage, sending his sister a very smug smile when she groaned. "Here I expected to hear some of the dances being performed and instead I hear my lovely lady giving me a compliment. Why it must be my lucky day!"

"Well don't get used to it," Meg joked, her eyes sparkling with mirth. She glanced at Isabelle and saw the grin she was trying to contain as her eyes darted to her brother and then to Meg, going back and forth as her grin widened. Meg, wanting the attention to go away from her and Wilhelm, said, "hey Isabelle, why don't you sing a song with your brother? That way we can not only hear you sing, but prove to you that your brother has a beautiful voice like yours!"

"I uh don't think that is a good idea," Isabelle shook her head, looking around nervously as if searching for a pair of eyes that she knew were sometimes staring at her. "You see-"

"Oh don't be like that Isabelle," Wilhelm grinned, making his sister stand up and patted her back. "Its going to be fun, I'll even let you pick a song to sing..."

Isabelle muttered under her breath but agreed none-the-less and thought of a song to sing. Her eyes lit up as she came up with a song and she away from her brother, walking to the edge of the front of the stage to sing. Letting out a small cough, she closed her fire-blue eyes before beginning to sing,

_"Er sang sobald ich schlief und kam mir nah_

_Mir schien, dass er mich rief und mit mir sprach  
_  
_Träum ich denn immer noch, ich fühl es hier  
_  
_Ganz nah ist das Phantom der Oper da  
_  
_Es lebst in mir!"_

Wilhelm rolled his eyes as heard the song that Isabelle had picked and he strained his brain as he tried to remember the lyrics to his part of the song. Finally remembering, he took a deep breath before beginning to sing his own part.

**_"Komm sing mit mir heut Nacht, bei Kerzenschein_**

**_Dann fängt dich meine Macht noch stärker ein  
_**  
**_Und wendest du den Blick auch ab von mir  
_**  
**_Ganz nah ist das Phantom der Oper da  
_**  
**_Es lebt in dir!"_**

"Brava! Brava!" Emma and Meg cheered, clapping their hands as they grinned at both Isabelle and Wilhelm. Wilhelm smirked and did a little mock bow, thanking them and turning to look at his sister but frowned when he saw her looking around with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Isabelle... Are you okay?" He asked, placing his hand on his sister's shoulder and looking at her with worry. She seemed to snap out of whatever she was in and she turned to him with a soft smile, nodding her head.

"Never felt any better," Isabelle stretched her shoulders. "Now I don't know about you three, but I'm tired! I'll see you tomorrow..."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Now the song that Isabelle and Wilhelm sang is _The Phantom of the Opera_ in German. Or I think it is, I merely found it on Youtube and decided to use it for the story. If you would like to listen to the German version, simply look up 'The Phantom of the Opera (German) - Das Phantom der oper' on Youtube and you should find the video that I used. Don't know if the lyrics are right, I just found them with the description of the video. Now, thanks for reading!**

**Till next time :3**


	11. Chapter 12

**Isabelle(1st person):**

"Are you almost done, Emma?" I called out, poking my head through the door to look for Emma. My eyes caught sight of her hurriedly putting her hair into a braid and failing horrible. Barley resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I walked over to her and pulled her hands away and began to braid her hair, weaving a gold and gem studded ribbon in her hair. "There we go! Now lets hurry up or we're going to be late for our last dress rehearsal. Meg and Christine already went ahead!"

"Sorry, I can't braid today for some reason," Emma apologized before we went sprinting through the opera house. I let out a soft growl when my hair whipped around and hit me in the eyes. For the opera, Madame Giry had told me to leave half my hair down while braiding the ends and putting jeweled beads at the end. Let's just say, I wasn't jumping for joy at the decision. But she said it would look well with the costume and I had to reluctantly agree with her.

Even though I wasn't exactly comfortable in the slave costume, it was very pretty. The main reason why I wasn't comfortable was because the top half only covered the breasts and mine aren't exactly small. It was extremely uncomfortable since the costume made them more apparent and I knew people could tell since I saw a male dancer or two stare.

"Thank god we're not late," Emma murmured as we got there right before Madame Giry walked through our line. We began to do our warm ups like usual and I had to cringe when I heard Carlotta begin to sing. God it sounded awful, I have no clue how people could enjoy her voice! We stopped doing warm ups and put are wrists into the chains used in the dance. A moment after Carlotta threw the dummy head, the chorus singers began to march in singing and in their costumes. I had to admit, their costumes were very pretty.

_"With feasting and dancing and song_

_Tonight in celebration_

_We greet the victorious throng_

_Returned to bring salvation!_

_The trumpets of Carthage resound_

_Hear, Romans now and tremble!_

_Hark to our step on the ground_

_Hear the drums_

_Hannibal comes!"_

I heard Emma snort as we saw Carlotta trip on her dress and glare at one of her maids. A moment later Piangi and little Piangi walked in and stood in the center of the stage. Little Piangi mimicked everything Piangi did, and I couldn't help but wonder what his purpose was.

_"Sad to return to the land we love_

_Threatened once more by Roma's _

_Far-reaching grasp!"_

I cringed when I heard Piangi mess up and I could tell that Reyer wasn't pleased. He stopped the orchestra but before he could say much else three people walked in. One being the manager and two being the new managers, or that's what I remembered.

"This way," Monsieur Lefevre began as he ushered the two new managers closer to the stage. "As you can see, rehearsals are underway for a new production of Chalumeau's_ Hannibal._"

"Monsieur Lefevre, I am rehearsing," a very annoyed Reyer protested.

"Monsieur Reyer, Madame Giry..." Lefevre looked at both people he called to. "Ladies and gentlemen, please, if I could have your attention? As you know there have been rumors of my imminent retirement. I can now tell you that these rumors were all true," I saw Carlotta point at Piangi with triumph. "It is my pleasure to introduce to you to the two gentlemen who now own the Opera Populaire...

"Monsieur Richard Firmin," the man nodded, "and Monsieur Gilles André," he waved. Everyone clapped politely, sending our new managers smiles, or some of us did. "I'm sure you've all read of their recent fortune in the junk business."

"Scrap metal, actually," André corrected with a glare.

"They must be rich," I heard one of the dancers say. I saw Emma roll her eyes and suppress a scowl.

"And we our deeply honored to introduce our new patron..." Firman began.

"The Vicomte de Chagney," André finished, beaming in pride.

I grinned as I watched Raoul walk up to André and Firman, shaking their hands. Christine and Meg walked up behind us and I saw Christine's eyes widen.

"Isn't that your brother?" Emma asked in a soft whisper. Emma was the only one I told, I trusted her not to run her mouth like some excited child. And I was right to tell her, she rarely brought it up and acted like I was no different.

"Yes," I nodded. "I didn't know he was becoming the new patron, he didn't tell me anything! He must have wanted it to be a surprise..."

"It's Raoul," I heard Christine say softly. We turned to look at her with confusion, only mine was faked. "Before my father died, at the house by the sea... I guess you could say we were childhood sweethearts. He called me Little Lotte."

"Christine, he's so handsome," Meg said, turning back to look at Raoul.

"My siblings and I are honored to support all the arts," Raoul said, looking over everyone. When he saw me he smiled and sent a nod, thankfully Christine didn't notice. "Especially the world-renowned Opera Populaire!"

Carlotta walked over to Raoul as we clapped over his speech and she lifted her hand for him to kiss. I made a disgusted noise at the back of my throat and scrunched up my nose as Raoul reluctantly kissed her hand.

"Gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our leading soprano for five seasons," Lefevre introduced, nodding his head at the woman.

"Poor Raoul, he's going to have to bleach his lips now," I muttered, earning a confused look from Emma. "Bleach isn't invented yet, is it?"

"Nope," Emma shook her head.

"I fail at comedy," I sighed. Lefevre introduced Piangi a moment later.

"An honor Signor," Raoul said. "I believe I'm keeping you from your rehearsal. I will be here this evening to share your great triumph," he turned to Reyer. "My apologies monsieur."

Raoul began to walk away with André and Firman trailing behind him but he stopped once he reached me.

"Ah hello Isabelle," Raoul greeted, bowing his head. I could feel Christine glaring a hole at the back of my head. Shit. "I would love to talk but I don't want to keep you from... Christine? Is that you?"

"Hello Raoul!" Christine said happily, smiling as she realized that he recognized her.

"It's great to see you! Now I really want to talk and catch up but I must go. Would you like to have dinner tonight, after the opera?" Raoul asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yes! I mean of corse," Christine corrected herself, her cheeks a light pink at her previous excited answer. "I would love to!"

"Great!" Raoul sent her one last smile before he walked off.

"He's been here for only five minuets and you already captured his heart Christine," I teased, grinning. "And don't worry about me coming between you two because we're related..."

"Oh! Sorry about glaring," Christine apologized, her blush darkening.

"Don't worry about it," I waved it aside. As soon as I did, I heard the orchestra begin to play and we headed to the stage and began to dance. It was a decently easy dance and I had it memorized by heart so I didn't really have to worry about messing up.

"If you please Monsieur," Madame Giry said, gaining the new managers attention and ushering them away from our area. "We take particular pride in the excellence of our ballet."

"I see why," André nodded as he spoke. "Especially that little blonde angel!"

"My daughter, Meg Giry," Madame Giry said proudly.

"And that exceptional beauty," Firman nodded over to Christine. "No relation I trust?"

"Christine Daae, very promising," Madame Giry nodded.

"How about the white-haired beauty over there?" I heard André ask and I nearly tripped.

"Isabelle Wolfe," Madame Giry said. "She's a dancer from Germany, her older brother is in the orchestra," she nodded to Wilhelm who was playing. I wondered why Madame Giry said Germany since me and my brother actually came from America. "She's a very talented child, a little outspoken and clumsy, mind you, but she's very promising."

After our dance was finished, we backed off and the chorus began to sing again. One of the male members of the chorus accidentally stepped on Carlotta's dress and she scowled at him. "Ah me! Not on my dress! Why?" I watched as people began to wheel in the elephant and I couldn't help but wonder how Piangi was going to get on. I didn't think much of it because a moment later, the chorus began to sing,

_"The trumpets of Carthage resound_

_Hear, Romans now and tremble!_

_Hark to our step on the ground_

_Hear the drums_

_Hannibal comes!"_

Me and the other dancers slipped back into the circle that the chorus members made and we did are last spin, holding our last pose for as long as we needed. I got up from my position and stretched, ignoring the complaining Carlotta.

"Thank god I broke these shoes in before today," I said to Emma, comfortably standing on the tip of my toes. "I would have been screwed other wise!"

"Lucky, I haven't yet," Emma pouted. "I should have bought new ones the same time as you did!"

"Weren't you the one who said, 'I can break them in within the week'," I mimicked her and earned a glare. "I'm just kidding!"

"Bella Diva!" I heard André say to Carlotta who kept saying she was leaving when all she wanted was attention.

"Goddess of song," Firman praised.

"Monsieur Reyer," André looked at the man. "Isn't there a rather marvelous aria for Elissa in act three of _Hannibal_? Perhaps if Signora..."

"Yes, yes! Me, no!" Carlotta interrupted him. "Because I have not my costume for act three because somebody not finish it! And I _hate_ my hat!"

"I wonder Signora, as a personal favor, would you oblige us with a private rendition? Unless of course Monsieur Reyer objects," Firman said.

"If my managers command," Carlotta said as she finished pretending to cry. Oh god, I wished someone would just slap her or get her to shut up. "Monsieur Reyer?"

"If my diva commands," Reyer nodded, barely holding back his scowl.

"Yes, I do!" Carlotta glared before walking toward the front of the stage. "Everybody, quiet!"

"And just when I was getting my hearing back," I sighed sadly, causing Emma to snort in amusement. "Maybe she'll stop singing if something falls on her..."

"More than likely, she'll complain everyone's ear off and annoy everyone to the point of madness," Emma shook her head.

"I hate to admit it, but you're probably-"

"Shut up you little toad!" Carlotta yelled, turning and glaring at me.

"Did that _wretch_ just call me a toad?" I growled, "she's dead!"

"Calm down, Izzy," I heard Emma say softly. I pouted before I forced myself to calm down and not attack her. Instead I settled for glaring a hole at the back of her head. Maybe, if I glare hard enough, she'll burst into flames. I watched as she sprayed throat spray into her mouth and turned to begin singing. The piano started as she began to sing,

_"Think of me, think of me fondly_

_When we've said goodbye_

_Remember me once in a while_

_Please promise me, you'll try!"_

Oh my god me ears are bleeding! It was horribly out of tune and she used vibrato way to much. If someone was going to stop her, now would be good! And as soon as I thought that, I heard Meg scream as the backdrop fell and landed on top of Carlotta. I looked up quickly to see who did it and I caught sight of a disappearing black cloak. Of corse! Erik did it! He did it in the movie, now I remember!

"He's here, The Phantom of the Opera," Meg said, almost singing, as she looked at Emma, Christine, and I with worry as some members of the chorus tried to help Carlotta.

"Signora, are you alright? Boquet! For God's sake, what's going on up there?" Lefevre demanded.

A moment later, Boquet started to pull up the backdrop. "Please Monsieur, don't look at me! As God's my judge, I wasn't at my post. Please Monsieur, there's no one there, or if there was, well, then it must be a ghost!"

"Signora..." André began once Carlotta was safe and standing. "These things do happen..."

"For the past three years these things do happen, and did you stop them from happening?" Carlotta yelled as she looked at Lefevre. "No! And you two... You're just as bad as him! 'These things do happen.' Until you stop these things from happening, this thing does not happen! Bring my doggy and my boxy!"

I watched as she stormed off the stage and I rolled my eyes at her, glad that she was gone. Something told me she would be back but I was planning on enjoying the short time in which she wasn't here.

"Gentlemen, good luck," Lefevre said before he hurried away. "If you need me, I shall be in Australia!"

"Signora Guidicelli, she will be coming back, won't she?" André asked Reyer while he simply shrugged.

"You think so Monsieur?" Madame Giry question as she walked up to the two. "I have a message from the Opera Ghost."

"Oh God in heaven, you're all obsessed," Firman rolled his eyes.

"He welcomes you to his Opera House!"

"His Opera house?" Firman asked, outraged.

"And commands that you continue to leave box 5 empty for his use and reminds you that his salary is due."

"His salary?"

"Well, Monsieur Lefevre used to give hin 20,000 francs a month," Madame Giry shrugged.

"20,000 francs?" Firman asked, his eyes wide with shock.

"Perhaps you can afford more," Madame Giry said with amusement. "With the Vicomte as your patron?"

"Madame, I had hoped to make that announcement public tonight, when the Vicomte was to join us for the gala, but, obviously we shall have to cancel as it appears we have lost our star!"

"But surely there must be an understudy," André frowned.

"Understudy?" Reyer let out a humorless laugh. "There is no understudy for La Carlotta!"

"A full house, André, we shall have to refund a full house!"

"Such a shame, I was really looking forward to tonight," I murmured under my breath and turned around to talk to Emma when I heard Madame Giry say something that made me freeze.

"Isabelle Wolfe could sing it!"

"I could do what?" I squeaked but both managers and Madame Giry ignored me. I was on the verge of panicking. I wasn't ready for this! So,_ so_ not ready! I needed more time, more lessons... If I went on now I would fail and fail Erik and then he would be so disappointed and probably want nothing-

"What? A chorus girl? Don't be silly?" André scoffed, freezing my thoughts.

Oh, you sir, just declared war. I glared in his direction and fought off the urge to be childish and stick my tongue at him.

"She has been taking lessons from a great teacher," Madame Giry reassured.

"Who?"

Oh crud, what was I supposed to say? I panicked and blurted out my first thought, "I don't exactly know his name, sir! He's very um... Secretive? And he hadn't told me his name!" Okay that was a total fail, I need to get better at lying.

"Let her sing for you Monsieur," Madame Giry said, standing beside me and placing her hand on my shoulder. She looked down at me and gave me a look that said,_ you suck at lying._ "She had been well taught!"

"All right," André said after sharing a look with Firman. "Come on, don't be shy. Come, come along, just..."

I stood at the front of the stage and looked down to see Wilhelm looking at me with narrowed eyes. In return, I sent him a cheeky grin and a wink, hoping that it would stop his thinking. If I knew my brother, he was putting the pieces together and probably already guessed who was teaching me. Great.

"From the beginning of the aria then, please, Mademoiselle," Reyer said, standing by the podium.

"Got it," I said, nodding my head. The music began and I took a deep breath, remembering everything Erik taught me. I fixed my posture before letting out a soft cough. I could easily hear Firman and André whispering behind me.

"André, this is doing nothing for my nerves," Firmin frowned.

"She _is_ very pretty," André whispered back and I merely rolled my eyes before I began to sing,

_"Think of me, think of me fondly_

_When we've said goodbye_

_Remember me once in a while_

_Please promise me, you'll try!"_

I hesitated for a moment and looked back at Madame Giry who gestured for me to continue.

_"When you find that once again you long _

_to take your heart back and be free!_

_If you ever find a moment_

_spare a thought for me!"_

I finished the note and turned back around, looking at the managers nervously. I hope they liked it... It was silent for a few moment before I heard Emma and Meg clapping enthusiastically and soon everyone joined in. I felt my heart skip a beat as I realized that everyone loved it and I smiled brightly, beaming in my spot. Thank you, Erik!


	12. Chapter 13

**Isabelle(1st person):**

I stood in the Prima Donna room, trying my best not to move as I was eased into the costume for Act 3. The maid tightened the corset that I wore and made sure the beaded straps were against my shoulders correctly and not tangled up. She then helped me put on the long skirt that was a combination of reds, greens, and golds. Once she finished with that, she slid a necklace around my neck before helping me put large circular earrings. As soon as the maid was finished, I was ushered into a chair and Emma came in and began to fix my hair. She took out the little braids in my hair and I was surprised to see that they left little curls. Emma brushed my hair back before she put a crown on my head, adjusting my hair so it looked right.

"You're going to do amazing," Emma grinned as she swept my bangs to the side and used a clip to keep my them behind my ears. "You've done amazing in the first two acts and the third is going to be no different. And you're definitely going to sound a lot better than Carlotta. Thank god she didn't come back."

"Don't jinx us just yet," I giggled. "You never know, she could appear behind us and begin to scream our ears off."

"Emma," Madame Giry called out, stepping into the room. "You are needed on stage, act three is about to begin! Isabelle, I will come and get you once your appearance draws near."

"Of corse, Madame," Emma said, standing up to follow Madame Giry. "Good luck, Izzy!"

"You too," I called back. As soon as the door shut, I let out a soft sigh and leaned back in my seat. I had the horrible temptation to itch my scalp but I didn't want to since I might mess up my hair. If I did, I'm pretty sure Emma would kill me. So, to get my mind off of the itch, I looked around and took in my surroundings.

The Prima Donna room looked just like I remembered it to in the movie. The walls were a light shade of pink with roses painted on the walls. Flowers covered almost every table and surface of the room, most flowers being pink. God, everything was pink! The vanity, the bed and covers, the nightstand, everything! It was a little too much in my opinion. There was one thing that caught my eye though and it was the mirror on the wall. I couldn't remember what, but I knew the mirror was important.

I walked over to the mirror and stood in front of it, tilting my head slightly as I took in my appearance. Looking at the dress, I was surprised that the costume looked like the ones worn in the broadways and not the one that was used in the movie. I didn't mind, of course, the costume was just was beautiful as the other ones used in different adaptations.

"I look so different," I murmured softly, resisting the urge to mess with the make-up I had on. Let's just saw I wasn't to fond of it on my skin. I subconsciously went to toy with my charm bracelet only to realize that I didn't have it on. The maid had told me to take it off as she dressed me but now since she wasn't here, she wouldn't realize that I put it back on. "No one will ever know..."

I walked over to the vanity and slid the charm bracelet back on my wrist before I walked back over to the mirror. Loosing myself in my thoughts, I continued to stare into the mirror before Madame Giry came and told me it was time. The opera house was packed as I stood behind stage and looked over all the French nobles sitting in the seats. Madame Giry placed the long red, green, and gold, scarf in my hands and reminded me what I was supposed to do before going off to the dancers.

So far the opera had went by smoothly, everything going as planned and nothing bad happened. I was a little nervous at singing _Think of me_ in front of everyone but I was determined to make everyone proud. As soon as I went out and stood in the center of stage, I felt a wave of confidence as I sang. I had already finished the beginning of the song and was about to continue.

_"We never said out love was evergreen_

_Or as unchanging as the sea_

_But if you can still remember_

_stop and think of me!"_

Slowly I walked across the stage with a bright smile across my face, dropping one end of the scarf before slowly picking it back up.

_"Thank of all the things_

_We've shared and seen_

_Don't think about the way_

_Things might have been."_

Perking up, I held the scarf up with both of my hands and took a few steps forward, smiling at the audience while not really looking at them.

_"Think of me, think of me waking_

_Silent and resigned_

_Imagine me trying to hard_

_To put you from my mind."_

I lowered the scarf slightly before turning it slowly before putting it behind my back and raising my hands up.

_"Recall those days, look back on those times_

_Think of those things we'll never do_

_There will never be a day_

_When I won't think of you!"_

I smiled as I stopped singing and did a few spins, releasing one end of the scarf and wrapping it around my neck. As the melody continued to play, I danced across the stage and continued to dance, toying with the scarf as I did so. I looked around at the people watching with wide, impressed eyes. Turning to look up, I spotted Raoul sitting in box 5, smiling and saying 'bravo' before he left the box. Still smiling, I turned to the front of the opera and continued singing when I was cued back in.

_"Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade_

_They have their seasons, so do we_

_But please promise me that sometimes_

_You will think of... me!"_

I sang the last note for as long as I could, throwing the scarf up in the air and letting it land on the ground, sitting down at my knees and bowing to it. After a few minuets I stood up, picking up the scarf and watching as the audience all stood up and applauded. The managers were shouting 'bravo' and so were some members of the audience. I beamed in my spot and curtsied, silently thanking everyone. Roses were thrown at my feet and I was filled with joy. Everyone liked it! I was beyond happy as I curtsied one last time before heading off the stage. Almost imminently I was surrounded by the dancers as they congratulated me and said how good I was. I blushed brightly under the attention and told them they did amazing too. And they did! The dancing was terrific!

The curtain closed for the last time that night after we all went and bowed to the crowd. Even though I was really grateful for the praising I was getting, it was getting a little to crowded and loud for my liking. So when no one way looking, I snuck away and made my way to the chapel. I made my way to my mother's picture and sat down in front of it, reaching over and lighting the candle above it on fire. As I was looking at my mother's picture, I heard someone begin to applaud.

_**"Brava, brava, bravissima!"**_

I smiled as I heard Erik's voice and I was about to reply to him when I heard Emma and Meg singing my name as they called for me.

_"Isabelle! Isabelle!"_

For a moment I wondered where Christine went but I guessed that she was with Raoul. I was surprised that Meg was coming since I thought she would've been with my brother.

_**"Isabelle..."**_

My thoughts were stilled when I heard Erik sing my name after them and a moment later, I saw Emma and Meg walking toward me, smiling widely. They sat beside me and both shared a look before Meg began to sing softly,

_"Where in the world have you been hiding?_

_Really you were perfect!"_

Emma began singing a moment later,

_"We only wish we knew your secret_

_Who is your great tutor?"_

I looked at them and thought of how to respond and a song popped into my head.

_"Mother once spoke of an angel_

_I used to dream he'd appear_

_Now as I sing I can sense him_

_And I know he's here!"_

I stood up and I looked around with a soft smile as we made our way out of the chapel before I sang,

_"Here in this room, he calls me softly_

_Somewhere inside, hiding_

_Somehow I know he's always with me_

_He, the unseen genius!"_

As we walked up the stairs, Meg and Emma looked at me with worry as they took turns singing,

_"We watched your face from the shadows_

_Distant through all the applause."_

_"We hear your voice in the darkness_

_Yet the words aren't yours!"_

We were already in the hall when I began to sing,

_"Angel of music, guide and guardian_

_Grant to me your glory!"_

"Who is this angel?" Emma asked before all three of us began to sing,

_"This Angel of music_

_Hide no longer!_

_Secret and strange angel!"_

As we continued walking, I couldn't help but feel a flash of fear. I felt like something bad was going to happen because I sang tonight. Like I messed something up and now someone else was going to pay the price for it.

"It's with me even now," I murmured, looking around shakily,

"Your hands are cold," Meg said as she grabbed one of my hands.

"All around me..."

"Your face, Isabelle, it's white!" Emma exclaimed with worry.

"It frightens me!" I cried out, turning to look at them with unhidden fear.

_"Don't be frightened,"_ they both sang, trying to soothe me. I did my best to calm down and I smiled at them. They were right, there really was no need to be frightened. I was probably just afraid and panicking over nothing.

"I should get to the Prima Donna room to get these things out," I said after a moment, gesturing to my costume.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to get to the room on your own?" Emma asked. "It's going to be pretty crowded..."

"I'm a ninja, trust me," I winked, gaining only a confused stare from the both. "...You don't know what a ninja is, do you?" Both shook their heads. "Nevermind... I'll get there, don't worry!"

"We'll come see you later than!" Meg said and turned to walk to the music room in search of Wilhelm since the musicians would be putting their instruments away.

"You know, you're the only one out of our group of friends who isn't being courted," Emma commented as she continued walking with me. "We need to change that!"

"No thanks," I laughed, shaking my head lightly. "I don't need help finding a partner! I'll find the right guy on my own time, thank you though. And plus, I don't want to be courted yet, I'm still young!"

"That's what you say now, but just wait," Emma laughed before disappearing into the crowd of dancers. Right before I made it to the Prima Donna room, I was crowded by members of the audience, stuffing flowers in my face. I froze and looked at them with shock and for a moment, I thought I was going to get crushed by them. But a second later, Madame Giry was at my side and she forced everyone to back up. She helped me to the room as she told everyone that they weren't allowed in.

"No! Ugh, no," Madame Giry scowled at the people wanting to get in before she shut the door. I grinned in amusement before looking around the Prima Donna room, seeing that there was more roses in the room then there was before. And guess what?

They were pink.

"You did very well, my dear," Madame Giry smiled and patted my shoulder as she went over to the table. As she did so, I spotted a dark red rose on the table and she handed it to me. I knew it was from Erik and for a moment I wondered why he had changed the rose to just red instead of the white and red rose I was familiar with. "He is pleased with you..." I smiled with joy as I twirled the rose in my fingers, glad that I made him proud. I saw Madame Giry glance at the mirror before she walked out of the room, leaving me to my thoughts.

"So much better than the pink roses," I thought aloud as I carried the rose over to the vanity. I sat down and took off my crown, taking off the clips in my hair along with the long earings that were making my ears hurt. Once I finished that, I put my hair into a french braid and tied the end with the black ribbon from the rose. Smiling, I picked up the rose again and took in its scent. As I was placing it back down, the room door opened and I turned to see Raoul walking towards me with a vase of flowers.

"_Goldjunge_!" I said happily, smiling at my brother as he set the vase of flowers on one of the tables.

"Hello Izzy," Raoul smiled. "You did great tonight! I knew you could sing, but not like that!"

"I know, I'm just full of surprises," I grinned cheekily. "You haven't seen nothing yet! I'm glad you liked the opera!"

He shook his head before he gave me a hug as he complimented me again. "You sang like an Angel tonight..."

I didn't know why, but I felt compelled to tell him about the Angel of Music. Like if I didn't, I would end up regretting it later.

"Raoul, before mother left me to come back here, she told me about an Angel of Music," I began. "She told me that he came to those who were natural singers that needed help... And well... _I_ have been visited by the Angel of Music!"

"Oh no doubt of it," Raoul nodded his head with a smile. "I spoke to Christine before coming here and we are planning on going to eat. You're going to come with us, along with Wilhelm and Meg, of corse!"

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea," I laughed nervously. I knew Erik wouldn't want that, he would probably get mad at me and yell or something. "You see, the Angel of Music is _really_ strict and he doesn't want me wandering around after a show for too long."

"I shan't keep you up late," Raoul promised, laughing softly as he walked toward the door.

"Raoul, you're not listening to me! I _really _can't-"

"You must change," Raoul interrupted, apparently not taking 'no' for an answer. Damn him! "The others are also getting ready, I'll come get you in ten minuets. Ten minuets, Izzy!"

Raoul waved one last time and walked out of the door, blissfully unaware that I was planning on hurting him next time we were alone for not listening to me while I was blissfully unaware of the door being locked. I sighed as I walked over to the wardrobe, I might as well get out of this costume before I head to the dorms to get one of my dresses. Looking over the contents, I pulled out a dark blue chemise before grabbing a pretty white robe and I headed behind the dressing screen.

The chemise was a lot shorter than I thought it would be and I almost regretted picking it up. I quickly pulled the costume off and slid the chemise on, wiggling it down as far as I could before I tied the white robe on. While I kept my stockings on, I left my shoes by the dressing screen as I walked to the vanity and pulled my locket over my head. I was heading back to my shoes when I felt a cold breeze trickle in and I shivered, furrowing my brows when I saw that all the candles had blown out. A flash of fear went through me and I hurried to the door but before I could attempt to open it, I heard Erik's voice singing, rage pouring off each word.

_**"Insolent boy, this slave of fashion**_

_**Basking in your glory!**_

_**Ignorant fool, this brave young suitor,**_

_**Sharing in my triumph!"**_

Oh god he sounded so pissed! I would _not_ want to Raoul right now- or ever. Although it almost made me laugh when I heard Erik call Raoul my suitor. I was pretty sure if Erik knew the truth, he wouldn't have said anything. I could still feel the anger in the air and I took a deep breath, knowing that I needed to calm him down.

_"Angel, I hear you_

_Speak, I listen_

_Stay by my side_

_Guide me._

_Angel, my soul was weak_

_Forgive me!_

_Enter at last, Master!"_

It felt weird calling him 'Master' but I figured it would help him calm down. And it seemed to help for when he sang again, he was much calmer.

_**"Flattering child, you shall know me**_

_**See why in shadow I hide!**_

_**Look at your face in the mirror...**_

_**I am there, inside!"**_

I did as he said and my eyes went wide as I slowly caught sight of him. First it was only his white mask, but then it was his whole face and then the rest of his body. Mist slowly poured into the room but I hardly paid attention to it. I couldn't keep the excited but slightly confused smile off my face as I saw him for the first time and saw that he looked like Ramin Karimloo, not Gerald Butler. Okay thats a little weird, why doesn't he look like the actor for the movie? All the other characters look like their actors, why not him? Not that it bothered me, mind you, but it was strange and didn't make a lot of sense. I simply shrugged it off before I began to sing again, slowly walking to the mirror.

_"Angel of Music, guide and guardian_

_Grant to me your glory!_

_Angel of music, hide no longer_

_Come to me, strange Angel."_

As I got nearer to him, I noticed a few differences from him and Ramin. His eyes were warm, soft but with a hint of sharpness and they were the color of the sea. His jaw was sharper and his nose was a little more narrow although with the mask, half of it looked larger. He was taller and by tall I mean that he probably towered over me. And he was wearing that damn fedora that made his face even- I felt myself freeze as Erik began to sing again and I felt as if I was in a trance where there was only me and him.

_**"I am your Angel of Music**_

_**Come to me; Angel of Music."**_

I could faintly hear Raoul in the background but I paid him no attention, only focussing on Erik. He continued to sing as he held his hand up for me to grab, trying to coax me into accepting it. When Raoul screamed my name, I snapped a bit out of the trance and turned to look at the rattling door. I frowned, biting my lip as I debated what to do. I turned back to Erik and when I met his eyes, I saw that there was a pleading look in his eyes.

_**"I am your Angel of Music**_

_**Come to me; Angel of Music!"**_

This time when he sang, I could hear the pleading tone in his voice and I couldn't resist any longer, letting myself go back under his trance and gently, I took his hand. I saw the triumph shine in his eyes as he gently pulled me, the mirror behind me shutting and sealing my fate.

* * *

**A/N: Hiya! Sorry for not updating for a few weeks, I got busy with school (Geometry is the bane of my existence) and life. Now some of you are probably wondering why I made Erik look like Ramin Karimloo instead of Gerard Butler and trust me, there is a reason for it! Its not because I like Ramin better or that I don't like Gerard (because I do) but because there's a real reason for the plot of the story. It won't come into play until much later, mind you, but it will play a part. If you don't like it then I apologize but I can't change it.**

**So I don't own any of the music that I used or any of the characters other then Isabelle, Wilhelm, and Fenris. Now I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! **

**Till next time :3**


	13. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello! Thank you all for reading, it means a lot. Sorry for the long wait for an update, I just got on Winter break at my school and I had been really busy prior to it. With concerts, projects, and finals so close to each other, it was a little stressful... But now its passed and I've finally been able to relax :3 Anways,**** I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and ****changed it ****multiple times, trying to make it better. I'm still not pleased with it but I didn't want to rewrite it again and decided to just leave it as it was. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter! Oh so I decided to reply to your reviews after every authors note since it seemed easier...**

**I hope you all enjoy the upcoming holidays! Enjoy the chapter :D**

**Review replies:**

The Magical Jedi from Paris:_ *shudders* Algebra 2! Anyways,__ I'm glad you love the story! And Izzy- she's one of my favorite Ocs that I've made so far... And who doesn't love Erik? :3 Probably a lot but lets not think about them... Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

CodeNameBLOOD: _Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy reading my story and I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

laughing jill- _Awe thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the story!_

Arctic Winters- _Thank you so much! One of the best? It's amazing to hear that, I never thought someone would it call it that :D I'm glad that you don't find Isabelle Mary-Sueish (I thought so for a while) and I hope I continue not to. I was actually worried that I might have kept the __story to much like the original so its great to see that I haven't. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

**Isabelle(1st person):**

It was quiet as we walked down the pathway, Erik holding my hand firmly but gently. I was on the verge was fangirling horribly but I had it under control for the moment. Him looking back every ten seconds and sending me either a grin or smirk was not helping either. For one, it made me blush, and two, it made me smile widely. I couldn't tell if I was under his trance at the moment but I guessed that I wasn't since I could ask myself whether or not I was.

His hand was really cold and I could feel goosebumps scatter across my arms. And ew! I stepped in something wet... So gross, I didn't even want to know what it was. Damn it, I knew I should've put on my shoes! Erik looked back at me a moment later, and sent me a little grin as we went turned directions and into a familiar looking path. Unlike the other path, it was very well-lit with many candelabras being held up by hands that moved away when we walked past them.

It looked very familiar yet I couldn't place where I saw it before although I guessed I saw it in the movie. Most of my memory of the movie was still gone so I guessed this was another thing I forgot about. I couldn't think about it any further because I began to hear a hauntingly familiar melody begin to play and I felt the urge to sing.

_"In sleep he sang to me_

_In dreams he came_

_That voice which calls to me and speaks my name_

_And do I dream again? For now I find_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there_

_Inside my mind!"_

We were walking down stairs as I got to the end and Erik looked back at me with shock in his sea-blue eyes. But his shock only lasted a moment and his smirk reappeared as he grabbed a lantern off a hook on the wall and began to sing his part.

_**"Sing once again with me**_

_**Our strange duet!**_

_**My power over you grows stronger yet**_

_**And though you turn from me to glance behind**_

_**The Phantom of the Opera is there**_

_**Inside your mind!"**_

I saw a black horse up ahead and I remembered that his name was Caesar. Smiling as we got to the horse, I rubbed his nose and cooed softly at him. A few moments passed before I felt strong arms lift me up and on the horse. I looked over and saw Erik pick up the lantern again as he led Caesar down the path. I watched with tilt of my head before we continued to sing,

_"Those who have seen your face_

_Draw back in fear_

_I am the mask you wear-"_

_**"It's me they hear!"**_

We began to sing together, our voices in harmony,

_**"Your/**__My spirit and __**my**__/your voice _

_In one combined_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there/__**here**_

_Inside my/__**your**__ mind!"_

As we got to the small dock, Erik helped me down from the horse and guided me to the gondola. He gently helped me get in before he grabbed a long black pole and pushed off. The sound of water gently hitting the gondola was soothing and I nearly jumped in surprise when I heard Erik begin to sing.

_**"In all your fantasies, you always knew**_

_**That man and mystery-"**_

_"Were both in you!"_

I finished for him and I looked behind me to see that he looked surprised before his lips twitched up in a smile. A moment later, we began to sing together again.

_"And in this labyrinth_

_Where night is blind!_

_The Phantom of the Opera is there/__**here**_

_Inside my/__**your **__mind!"_

I looked around in awe, looking at elegantly sculpted walls and everything in between. It looked amazing, I wondered how Erik did it himself or if he found it like this.

_"He's there, The Phantom of the Opera!"_

I sang as we approached a covered gate. As he got nearer, I saw one gate go up before the curtain behind it lift before the gate itself slowly started to lift as well.

_**"Sing, my Angel of Music!"**_

I did as Erik said and I began to sing, going higher and higher when he commanded. I watched as candelabras came out from the water, their candles somehow lit brightly

_**"Sing, my Angel!**_

_**Sing for me!"**_

I continued to sing as we went through the gate and approaching the land of his home. Oh god his home looked amazing!

_**"Sing, my Angel**_

_**SING FOR ME!"**_

I went the highest I could and held the note for as long as possible, and when I finished, I was out of breath. I panted softly as I watched Erik get out of the gondola and lean his pole against the wall before taking his coat off, throwing his hat to the side. He walked a few feet before turning to me, gesturing to his home as he sang.

_**"I have brought you**_

_**To the seat of sweet music's thrown."**_

He walked up the steps that lead to his organ, standing in front of it and he looked at his instrument.

_**"To this kingdom where all must**_

_**Pay homage to music!**_

_**Music!**_

_**You have come here**_

_**For one purpose **_

_**And one alone!"**_

He looked back at me, catching my eyes with his as he continued to sing.

_**"Since the moment I first heard you sing**_

_**I have needed you with me**_

_**To serve me, to sing**_

_**For my music...**_

_**My music"**_

I heard the music slow down and I imminently recognized the melody of the song. It was one of the few songs that I remembered and this scene was one out of few that I remembered. The only other scene that happens soon that I remember is when Christine takes Erik's mask off.

_**"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation**_

_**Darkness stirs and wakes imagination**_

_**Silently the senses **_

_**Abandon their defenses!"**_

Erik had slowly approached me as he sang and he stood in front of me, holding his hand out for me to grab. I slowly stood up and grabbed his hand, letting him help me out the boat. I looked up at him with wonder before it finally hit me. I was there, down below the opera house, with Erik- The phantom. It wasn't just some dream or fantasy, I was actually there and _he_ was singing the song that he was supposed to sing to _her._ Not me! And I didn't know how I felt about that. But I told myself not to think about it and to try to not ruin the moment.

_**"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor**_

_**Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender."**_

As he sang, I couldn't help but stare at him with eyes narrowed in thought. I was still a little confused as to why Erik was the only one who didn't look like the actor that played him in the movie, not that it bothered me mind you, but it was simply confusing. Suddenly, I jumped as Erik gently yet forcefully pushed my face to the other side so I wasn't looking at his masked face.

_**"Turn your face away from the garish light of day!"**_

He unintentionally (I think) moved my face so I was looking up at him again, this time closer to the unmasked side of his face.

_**"Turn your thoughts away from cold**_

_**unfeeling light."**_

When he realized what he had done, his eyes widened and he quickly began to walk to the stairs that lead to his organ, me trailing after him.

_**"And listen to the music of the night!"**_

His eyes darted to the side and I caught where he was looking, turning to see what he was looking at. I turned to the side and saw what looked like a little replica of the opera house stage and in the center was a little doll version of me in the dress that I had worn before.

Erik turned around and hurried up the steps while singing,

_**"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams!"**_

He turned back sharply, instantly catching my gaze.

_**"Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before**_

_**Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!"**_

I closed my eyes as he sang the last note softly. I felt a weird sensation, as if I was free and at peace. It was refreshing and I welcomed it, never having felt that way before. I waited a few seconds before reopening my eyes and I saw that Erik stood right in front of me. He smiled as he held his hand out again,

_**"And you'll live as you've never lived before."**_

As I accepted his hand, he began to lead me up the steps that he had previously been standing on.

_**"Softly, deftly, music shall surround you**_

_**Hear it, feel it, closing in around you!"**_

Erik's face was close to mine as he sang, I could feel his warm breath on my forehead as he leaned down. Oh god I could feel myself blushing, I hoped he didn't notice it but his smirk told me he did. Nothing escapes him... He leaned away as he continued to sing.

_**"Open up your mind**_

_**Let your fantasies unwind**_

_**In this darkness which you know you cannot fight**_

_**The darkness of the music of the night!"**_

He slowly walked behind a row of candles set on the table, his eyes never leaving mine. I swore, by the end of this night, my cheeks were going to be permanently red.

_**"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world**_

_**Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before**_

_**Let your soul take you where you long to be!"**_

My eyes slid shut as the powerful note rang out, enjoying the echo it left.

_**"Only then can you belong **_

_**to me..."**_

I opened my eyes when I heard Erik's voice right in front of me. He was looking at me with hope in his eyes as he slowly brung his hands to my face, letting his fingers trail down my cheeks softly. And once again, I blushed darkly but I didn't make any objections to him touching me. I saw a glimmer of joy in his eyes when I didn't push him away and he gently grabbed my shoulders. He turned me around and pulled me close so our bodies were touching, my back against his chest. Thank god for my self-control that helped me not fangirl.

_**"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication."**_

My head was resting against his shoulder as we swayed side-to-side, his hands slowly traveling down to my waist and then to my hips before one of his hands rested against his stomach and the other grabbed my hand. He was leaning his unmasked cheek against mine and I could feel that his lips were pulled up in a joyful smile.

_**"Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation!"**_

Erik brought my hand up to his masked cheek before realizing what he did and he quickly turned around so he was facing me. His hands were slowly curling over my own as he smiled at me, causing me to blush horribly. He gently tugged on my hand for me to follow him.

_**"Let the dream begin**_

_**Let your darker side give in**_

_**To the power of the music that I write**_

_**The power of the music of the night!"**_

Erik led me over to a red curtain, still smiling brightly at me. I could now fully see the bright joy in his eyes that was mixed with hope and another emotion I couldn't decipher. As we stood in front of the curtain, he gently pushed a part aside and nodded for me to take a look. I smiled at him before turning to look and I froze when I saw what it was.

It was a mannequin that looked just like me (in my opinion the eyes looked to pretty to be mine) in a wedding dress that, I admit, was beautiful. Oh god I didn't know what to do or how was I supposed to respond. Was I supposed to freak out and go ninja on him? Or was I supposed to laugh nervously? Get him under a sense of false safety, then when he least expected it, punch him and make a run for it? But then I remembered what Christine did- She fainted! That's what I was going to do!

I slid my eyes shut before I went limp. Erik, thankfully, caught me and held me close to his chest. I could feel him begin to walk slowly and a moment later, I felt him rest me on something very soft. It took me all my willpower not to shiver when he ran his finger along my jaw.

_**"You alone can make my song take flight**_

_**Help me make the music of the...**_

_**night..."**_

I felt Erik slowly move away from me and I only opened my eyes when I heard the organ softly being played, as if not to wake me. I looked around and saw that I was in the swan bed with the black curtain pulled down. Leaning back against the soft pillows, I closed my eyes and thought about what just happened.

Erik liked me the same way that he had liked Christine, I could tell by obvious signs. I didn't know if I liked that or not... Don't get me wrong, I like Erik and I've had the biggest crush on him since I first saw _The Phantom of the Opera _years ago but I didn't want him to love me if he didn't even know me. I felt like he was only obsessed, not in love. And if he wanted to have something with me, whether it be friendship or romance, he was going to have to get to know me and let me get to know him.

That shouldn't be too hard! I smiled softly as I came up with a plan that I would act upon once I woke up. Letting a soft yawn come out, I turned on my side and borrowed my head in the pillows. I fell asleep to the sound of the organ playing a beautifully soft song.

* * *

**Emma(3rd person):**

The stars shinned brightly against the dark sky, dark gray clouds barely visible in the mess of darkness. Emma sat at the edge of the roof, her feet dangling over the side. She knew it was dangerous to be at the edge of the roof where she could easily fall but she was enjoying the view too much to care. A soft sigh passed through her lips as she closed her eyes and savored the cold breeze that ruffled her hair. Her honey-colored eyes snapped open as she heard the roof door open and she turned to see a worried looking Meg and Christine walking over to her.

"Is something amiss?" Emma asked, turning her body and jumping to the ground. She patted down her rising dress before walking over to them. "You two look worried..."

"Isabelle was supposed to come to dinner with us but she never showed up," Christine explained. "Raoul went to go get her up when he got there the door was locked and he couldn't get it open."

"He said he heard a male voice singing to her but he didn't know who it was," Meg continued. "Before he could break open the door, my mother came and told him that she was safe and not to worry." Meg frowned, "we're still worrying though... Especially Wilhelm... We thought maybe you've seen her."

"The last I saw her was when I left to go see Archer," Emma shook her head. "Do you think we should check on her?"

"The door is still locked," Christine reminded.

"There's a key ring in the storage room for the maids," Meg told them. "We could go get it from there and head to the Prima Donna room to see if she's okay."

The three headed down the stairs and made their way to the storage room. It was, thankfully, empty and they quickly grabbed the key ring before heading over to the Prima Donna room. Emma looked around for a sign of someone coming and when she saw no one, she told Meg to open the door. Meg quickly unlocked the door and the three headed in.

"Isabelle?" Meg called out softly, shutting the door behind them.

"I don't see her," Emma whispered, looking around the dark room and not seeing a sign of her friend. She looked over to the bed but she saw that it wasn't even touched, the covers not creased or moved in any way. "I don't know where she could've went, even her shoes are still here!"

"I think I see something!" Meg exclaimed before being hushed by a startled Christine. "Sorry... Look at the mirror! It's slightly open..."

As Emma walked up to it, she saw that Meg was indeed right and she slowly pushed it open. Her eyes widened as she saw a dark corridor that was wet and filled with spider webs.

"I don't think we should go in there," Christine shook her head, her eyes filled with worry. "We'll get in trouble..."

"Isabelle must be down there, we have to go see if she's okay," Meg said. "I don't know about you two, but I'm going!"

"I'm with you," Emma nodded.

"How do we know that the Phantom isn't in there?" Christine's eyes were still large with worry. "He could get mad at us for trespassing and then kill us!"

"We'll be fine, Christine," Meg promised. "Remember what my mother always says? Just keep your hand at the level of your eye and you'll be fine! Now come on!"

"Fine!" Christine sighed in defeat before following Meg and Emma into the mirror. They walked in slowly, being mindful to the puddles and the rats. Emma was leading while Christine was in the middle with Meg at the back. The three weren't far in when Meg let out a small scream when a rat ran by her foot, making Christine let out her own scream while Emma turned around quickly, her eyes wide with terror.

"Sorry! It was only a rat," Meg apologized as she saw her terror-filled friends and looked down guiltily.

"You almost made me have a heart attack," Emma sighed in relief. "Now we should hurry up, we don't know what are screams could've attracted."

"Indeed," a sharp, angry voice said from behind them. This time, all three screamed and snapped around, turning to see that it was only Madame Giry. Her mouth was set in a firm line and her eyes were filled with anger. "Now, all three of you, come with me now!"

"Yes, Madame(mother)," all three murmured before following the woman back out of the mirror. Madame Giry was silent as she closed the mirror and turned to look at her ballerinas.

"You three are to say nothing about this mirror," Madame Giry said sharply. "Not a word... In fact, you're going to pretend like this never happened! Don't say a word of this to Isabelle, Wilhelm, or the Vicomte! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Madame(mother)," they nodded their heads before following Madame Giry out of the room and returning to their dorms.

"That turned out great," Emma said sarcastically as they walked into the dorms and made their way to their beds. The honey-eyed girl groaned in dismay as she saw Joseph Boquet in the middle of the room, scaring the other dancers with a description of the Phantom.

_**"Like yellow parchment is his skin!**_

_**A great black hole served as a nose**_

_**That never grew.**_

_**You must always be on your guard**_

_**Or he will catch you with his magical lasso!"**_

Emma let out a scowl as she listened to Boquet sing and scare the other ballerinas. She turned to see the stage hand pull his noose over a girl's shoulders and pull her close to him. Not a moment massed before she saw Madame Giry walk in, glaring at Boquet as she took the noose away from Boquet and let the girl go off.

_"Those who speak of what they know_

_Find to late that prudent silent is wise_

_Joseph Boquet, hold your tongue!_

_He will burn you with the heat of his eyes!"_

Madame Giry slapped the stage hand, ignoring the gasps that the ballerinas let out.

"Keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" She pulled the noose over his head and tightened it, but Joseph's hand stopped it from choking him. Madame Giry glared at him one last time before walking out, telling the dancers to go to bed and for Joseph to leave. Emma, Meg, and Christine all shared a look before reluctantly going to bed, hoping that Isabelle would be back by the morning.


	14. Chapter 15

**A/N: I apologize for the huge wait for this chapter! While I was writing, I had some... Complications. In January, there was a bad storm where I live and it knocked out the power right when I was writing and I hadn't saved and lost almost the whole chapter. Then I lost the hard drive where I store the chapters and barely found it a few days ago... Again, I apologize and I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again. I will also try to update the story ever other week but no promises! I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

**Review replies:**

grapejuice101:_ Sorry for not replying to your PMs! I rarely check my account through a computer (usually through __mobile) and didn't notice them until yesterday. Anyways, I'm glad you loved the chapter! As for your question... Kind of but not really? By that I mean I'm only going to be using music from the broadway for the sequel but not much else. Maybe a few things here and there but mostly it's just going to be whatever pops into my head..._

The Fullmetal Jedi of Paris: _True! The only Erik-bashers I've met were on Tumblr and they were just plain rude. I agree, Raoul isn't really a bad character in my opinion and I think he does well with Christine. And Erik does need someone with more compassion and understanding, Christine just can't give that to him._

Guest #1:_ Thank you! I'm glad you like my story and like Isabelle!_

Guest #2: _Thank you!_

Jazz: _I'm glad you like the story- hope you enjoy the chapter and sorry for the long wait!_

Potofan123: _I'm glad you like the story and enjoy the chapter!_

Guest #3: _I'm glad you like the story! Sorry for the wait!_

* * *

**Isabelle(1st person):**

I woke up to the sound of two types of music being played close to me. One was soft and it sounded a lot like the melody to _Masquerade_ but I wasn't sure. The other one was a slow song but it was played loudly and I didn't recognize the song. Slowly, I blinked my tired eyes open and pulled myself into a sitting position, rubbing the sleep that was threatening to take over out of my eyes. After I was sure I wouldn't be tempted to close my eyes again, I looked around and saw that I was still on the swan bed with the black curtain down and surrounding me.

I turned to the side and saw that the paper mache music box was near me and had played the melody to _Masquerade._ To my surprise, I saw that the music box looked more like the ones used in the broadway shows, the money taller and creepier- or in my opinion it was.

The other song was still a mystery to me but I guessed that Erik was playing it since the music came from the main room. I reached up for the cord and pulled on it so the curtain would get pulled up. It only took a few seconds and the curtain was soon out of my way and reach. As I stretched my shoulders, I began to wonder where Erik had slept or if he had slept since I had taken the bed.

I felt a small twinge of guilt but I shook it away since he could've taken me back to the Prima Donna room once I fell asleep. Instead of getting up and going to Erik like a normal person would do, I leaned against the pillows and wondered what I was going to do next. I remembered that when Christine had awoken, she had taken Erik's mask off and caused him to get mad and push her down.

Immediately, I told myself I wasn't going to do that and end up making the same mistake that she did. It would be to cruel and upsetting to do it since Erik already did so much for me. Plus, I wanted to get to know him and pulling his mask off would not help in the slightest. I decided that I would just get up and talk to him or something and hopefully not make myself look like a fool. But I knew if I went out, I would have to address the fact that he pretended to be the Angel of Music when he obviously wasn't.

I didn't know how that was going to end but I knew it could end up bad if I didn't choose my words carefully. There were many ways I could go to discuss it but I didn't know which way I should do. I could flat-out tell him that I knew since the beginning but I think I needed more tact than that. Or I could feign innocence and pretend I didn't know until earlier but I'm not the best liar. After a few minuets of thinking it through, I knew how I was going to approach it and what I was going to say.

Hopefully he wouldn't get upset with me and start yelling about this and that. And I prayed that he wouldn't bring up the wedding dress because if he did I would probably go into ninja mode. Which means I shout something random to distract him then take off running. Even if that happened knew I wouldn't get far because one, he was probably faster than me and two, I would probably trip and end up breaking something. That wouldn't be fun, especially since I wasn't wearing any shoes and am more likely to trip.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves down before I went to the edge of the bed and slid out. The stone floor was cold under my feet and I couldn't help but shiver. Carefully, I began to walk to the main room, doing my best to avoid cracks and dips in the ground. Erik was still playing the organ so I assumed that he didn't know I was awake. He had changed the song he was playing to one that was fast paced. I didn't want to interrupt him while he was playing so I leaned against the wall and listened quietly.

While I listened to the music, I toyed with the charm bracelet still on my wrist. It helped me take my mind off my inner panicking as I looked at all the details on each charm. They all looked like they were hand carved and hand painted. Every detail was precise and planned, not a strand of paint out of place.

Erik continued to play for a few minuets and stopped as he finished the song. I took a deep breath and was about to clap when I noticed that my hair was out of its braid. I froze and looked at my locks of hair, wondering how it got out since I had put it into a solid braid. And the short amount of time that I had frozen was enough time for Erik to begin another song.

As he continued to play, I thought I might as well just go braid my hair before gaining his attention. So I walked back in quietly and easily found my ribbon by the pillows on the swan bed. I nimbly began to put my hair into a french braid and tied it off with the black ribbon. Once I was finished I began to walk out to the entrance only to trip and fall on my face with a loud_ thud!_

_"Shit! Ugh, that hurt!" _I cursed, rolling on my back and letting out a pain filled groan. I didn't notice that the organ had stopped playing nor did I hear the frantic feet heading my way._ "Damn it to hell! Ugh, it still hurts! How the hell did I ever become a dancer?"_

"Isabelle? Are you alright?" I heard Erik ask suddenly. I sat up imminently and looked back at him with wide-eyes, only now noticing the lack of music. The pain was still present but I managed to ignore it in my embarrassment.

"O-oh I'm f-fine," I stuttered, feeling my cheeks heat up in a bright blush. I felt like a total idiot, tripping over a small crack in the ground. This was _so_ going as I had planned. "I did not trip on a crack! I mean, who does that these days? That's _so _seventeenth century!"

Erik chuckled softly, finding my rambling amusing or something. He held his hand out for me to take and after a moment of staring at it with confusion, I reached out and accepted it. He slowly pulled me to my feet and once I was stable, I let go of his hand, still a little embarrassed. For some reason, I couldn't look him in the eyes and instead I looked down at my wrist and began to toy with my charm bracelet. I think the main reason I couldn't look him in the eye was because I just realized the situation I had put myself in. Here I was, standing a few feet away from the man who obviously cared for me and trying to act as if nothing was going on. Also, it might be the fact that I found him extremely attractive and wasn't the most graceful around people I like. _And_ It might be because the damn chemise I was wearing had riled up in my sleep and I wasn't exactly comfortable.

I almost jumped when I felt Erik's smooth hand gently lift my chin up to look at him. Damn, his hands were really warm! Erik didn't say anything as he looked over my face, as if trying to find something that I couldn't see.

"It doesn't appear that you have any injures," Erik commented, slowly, almost reluctantly, letting go of my face. "It might bruise for a bit though."

"Oh joy," I said sarcastically before grinning. "Just what I need, right?"

"Right..."

"So..." I began, looking at the ground and clasping my hands behind my back as I shifted on my feet. My original plan wasn't going to work now so I decided that I was just going to improvise. "You're The Phantom of the Opera..." I darted my eyes up to see Erik nod slowly, as if trying not to scare me. "But you're also my Angel of Music, right?" I saw him nod his head again. "Okay then! I just wanted to get that cleared!"

"You... You're not afraid of me?" Erik asked, his eyes wide with shock. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and instead shook my head with a smile. "Why?"

"Well you have been my Angel of Music and never once have you threatened me or treated me unkindly," I began, thinking over my words carefully. "You've been very kind and listened to me during lessons when I was pi- angry and needed someone to let it all out to. And you can't forget that you've taught me so much and made me a way better singer then I was before." I smiled at him, "just because you're not actually an angel, doesn't mean I'm going to hate or be afraid of you.

"Even if you're the scary and mean Phantom to others, you're still the kind Angel to me. Although I am a bit angry that you didn't just tell me who you really were in the beginning," I saw Erik flinch. "I understand why you did though, you probably thought I wouldn't except you offer for training." I bit off a grin when I found a way to start my plan. "But because of the lies you're going to have to do something in order to fully gain my trust."

"What?" Erik asked, his eyes pleading. I felt a little bad but didn't let it stop me from doing my plan. "I'll do whatever you need me to do to gain your trust back."

"Well it's more like what we're going to have to do," I said, letting my smile through. "We're going to have to get to know each other!" I saw Erik falter a bit. "Nothing to serious at the beginning, just little random things about each other. Like favorite color and time of day! That kind of stuff!"

"I.. think I can... manage that," Erik said after a moment, nodding his head with a smile. "Do... Do you want to start now?"

"Sure! Can we sit somewhere though?" I asked. Erik nodded and lead me to a table, pulling the chair out for me to sit. I smiled in thanks and waited for him to sit down in return. "Okay first lets set the rules! I ask a question with my answer and then you answer the question. Then you ask your own question and give me your answer and then I answer it. I hope that makes sense." Erik merely nodded his head. "First things first, what's your name? I know you already know mine!"

"My name?" Erik asked slowly, his brows furrowed. I guessed he wasn't used to that question and it made my heart clench with pain. "It's Erik..."

"Erik," I tested the name out, even though I already knew his name and had said it before. "I like it! It suits you! Now your turn!"

"What's..." I saw his brows furrow as he tried to come up with a question. His brows with furrowed in thought and after a minuet of no question, he almost meekly asked, "what's your favorite season? Mine's winter..."

"Mine too! We're winter buddies now," I exclaimed, raising my hand for a high-five. He stared at my hand with confusion. "High-fives haven't been done yet, have they?"

"No?"

I groaned as I lowered my hand in embarrassment, another blush across my face. "Nevermind that... What's your favorite color? Mine's dark blue, like the sky as it approaches nightfall."

"I like black the most although I'm fond of red to," Erik responded much quicker than the last time. "Favorite instrument? Mine is an organ…"

And that's how our morning went, with both of us asking each other personal yet silly questions. I enjoyed it, seeing that Erik let himself out of his little shell just to gain my trust. Of course I already trusted him before but this was the only way for us to get to know each other. Or the best way to get to know each other. I don't know how long we simply asked each other questions but Erik suddenly tensed and looked up, frowning.

He stood up and walked over to me, holding his hand out. "Come, we must return... Those two fools who run my theatre will be missing you."

"Oh okay," I said grabbing his hand and letting him help me into the gondola. The trip back to the Prima Donna room was filled with him telling me a few things about the opera being played tonight and he gave me tips for when I was the Countess. He seemed sure that I was going to be playing her but something told me that I wasn't. As we got back to the Prima Donna room, I turned to him after opening the mirror.

"Thank you Erik," I smiled. "For... you know... Everything I guess... And letting me get to know you. We're going to have to do this again soon," Quick as I could be, I reached up on the tips of my toes to kiss his unmasked cheek before hurrying through the mirror with a bright blush. I refused to look back as I went behind the dressing screen to wait for the mirror to close. When I heard the mirror click close, I waited a few moments before coming out with my shoes. I slid them on before I fixed my chemise that I realized had riled up again. I turned to the vanity and took my hair out of its braid before beginning to brush my hair.

"I need to bathe," I murmured before walking out of the Prima Donna room and heading toward the ballerina's dorms. As I walked inside, I saw that everyone was already gone and I guessed that practice had already started. I didn't stop to think about it long, making my way to my trunk and pulling a few things out before heading to the bathes.

* * *

Forty minuets later, I was sitting in the storage room sketching a picture of a sleeping Fenris. I had slipped into a long, black skirt and a long-sleeved dark blue shirt after I had taken a long and hot bath. Turning to the side, I looked up at the light blue sky that was filled with white clouds. It looked so peaceful and so different then the sky from the future. The sky where I came from was still the came color but it didn't look as clean as it did now.

"There you are!" I heard a voice exclaim from the door to the storage room. Turning toward the room, I saw Meg rush toward me. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Hello Meg," I said, standing up and closing my book. Fenris lifted his head as he woke up and stared at Meg with a tilt of his black-furred head. I frowned when I looked into Meg's eyes and saw the bright worry in them. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No! It's just that," Meg ringed her hands out nervously. "You see... Emma, Christine, and I went looking for you yesterday but-"

"But they weren't able to find you," a sharp voice said from the door. I turned and saw Madame Giry walk in, giving Meg a hard look. "But it doesn't matter anymore, you're here now and that's whats important."

"Good morning Madame Giry," I said politely, bowing my head slightly. I turned to Meg, "sorry for worrying you guys... I fell asleep in box 5 when I went to clean it." A little lie wouldn't hurt her or anything... I turned and saw Madame Giry give me a nod of approval for lying. It didn't make me feel any better for lying to one of my best friends.

"Why didn't we think of looking there?" Meg muttered to herself before turning back to me. "Wilhelm was worried for you... You should go tell him what happened."

"I will," I nodded.

"But after that I want you to go rest," Madame Giry told me. "I don't know how well you... slept last night and you need to rest up before the show tonight."

"Yes Madame," I bowed my head again before going off to find Wilhelm. It didn't take me long for he was in the music room and it was one of the first rooms I looked in. "Hey big brother!"

"Isabelle!" Wilhelm exclaimed, setting his cello down as he walked over to be and hugged me close. "I thought the Phantom got you! I thought that maybe... Maybe he had fallen in love with you like he did with Christine and taken you to his home and refused to let you leave!"

"How do you know that's not what happened?" I semi-joked but winced when I was Wilhelm pale. "I'm just joking! Nothing like that happened, Will. You have nothing to worry about. Hell, I haven't even talked to him since that one day in box 5! And let me tell you... it sucks!"

"My poor, lonely Izzy," Wilhelm cracked a grin before letting me out of the hug. I felt bad about lying to Wilhelm but I knew it was for the best. "Where did you go anyway? And what voice did Raoul hear in the Prima Donna room?"

"Oh Raoul must have heard the music off my phone that I turned on," I shrugged, doing my best to lie to Wilhelm. "And I went to clean box 5 after Raoul went and talked to me. I didn't really feel like eating so I snuck out before he could come get me."

"Why didn't you just decline the offer?"

"Raoul doesn't like to take 'no' for an answer," I grinned. "Sorry for making you worry though..."

"It's fine," Wilhelm shrugged and grabbed his cello and bow. "As much as I want to continue to talk, I have to go practice my part with the other musicians. I'll see you later!"

"See ya," I waved goodbye before I made my way to the ballerina dormitories. As I got in, I put my sketchbook back into my trunk before plopping on my bed. It wasn't long before Emma came running through the door with a sad and disappointed look on her oval-shaped face.

"What's wrong, Emma?" I asked with worry, getting up from my bed to try to comfort my friend. "Did something bad happen?"

"Something bad did happen but not to me," Emma shook her head before staring at me large pity filled eyes. "Something bad happened to you... Meg just told me about it."

"Wait what happened?" I asked with confusion. I didn't remember anything bad happening, everything this morning had went pretty smoothly and nicely.

"Carlotta came back and she's going to be the role of the Countess!" Emma frowned. "You were supposed to be the one to get it since you took over the main lead in the last opera because Carlotta left. She took the part that was meant for you! Now your supposed to play as the page-boy, the one silent role in the Opera!"

"Oh," I murmured, looking away. I felt heartbroken, like I had just tasted fame and suddenly it was ripped away from me and smashed into the ground. But a part of me wasn't surprised, it wasn't like I expected Carlotta to never return. I think I was mainly disappointed because Erik had already given my tips for the role but I wasn't going to be to use them. I hope he doesn't get mad when he finds out that I'm not the Countess like he wanted. "That's..."

"Heartbreaking? Upsetting? Unfair? A bad choice?" Emma supplied.

"Disappointing," I sighed, running my hand through my loose white locks. "I should probably go to Madame Giry and see what she wants to me wear and stuff..."

Emma nodded her head before disappearing out of the room. I slowly began to braid my hair as I walked to where I knew Madame Giry usually was. As I walked, I heard the sound of multiple people singing and I recognized the melody that belonged to Prima Donna. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Raoul coming in my direction and I quickly darted behind a pillar to hide, not wanting to let him see me. I winced as I heard him sing under his breath,

_"__Isabelle spoke of an angel…_

_Is this her angel of music?"_

I stayed behind the pillar as Raoul disappeared into the small chapel. I could still hear him sing as he did heaven knows what down there. Though I suspected he was looking for some sign of Erik.

_"__Ord__ers! Warnings!_

_Lunatic demands!"_

His voice got louder as he walked back out, anger and frustration in his voice as he sang,

_"__I must see that these demands are rejected!"_

For a moment, I stared in the direction of where Raoul disappeared before letting out a sigh. I hoped that whatever Raoul was planning wouldn't be to much of a problem and cause Erik to flip out. A few moments passed before I went back looking for Madame Giry. She was looking at costumes and picking up a few articles of clothing. I frowned as I heard her sing sadly,

_"She has heard the voice of the_

_Angel of Music."_

"Hello Madame Giry," I said after she finished singing. She turned to look at me slowly, her sadness still present in her eyes. "Emma told me who I am playing as... Do you have the costume for me?"

"Yes my dear," Madame Giry nodded and handed me the bundle of clothes. "Put this on with dark make-up... Don't put on any accessories..." She eyed my charm bracelet with a suspicious expression. "On second thought, it might be best to keep that on." I frowned, not understanding what she meant but I didn't stop to ponder it.

Looking over the clothes that I was supposed to wear as the page-boy, I murmured, "he isn't going to be happy about this, is he?"

"No, he is not," Madame Giry sighed. "The managers have forced him to place his curse on this opera house..."


	15. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks for reading- enjoy the chapter!**

**Review replies:**

_Horseland123:_ _I'm not good with explaining but I'll try! It stands for Alternate Universe but really its where you change things from what really happened and make it your own in a way? I'm really not good at explaining DX_

_Guest: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! I hope I made Carlotta's 'croaking like a toad moment' up to your expectations :3_

_SelasVictoria:__ Everything's good now- thankfully! And it is quite amusing when I look back on it and I makes me wonder what the world would do without the internet or other things like that. Anyhooties, I'm glad you liked the chapter, hope you enjoy this one as well :)_

_RosaBelle: I'm glad you like my story and I hope you enjoy the chapter :D_

_karisdaae24601: Don't worry- I don't think I'll have that problem anymore XD  
_

* * *

**Isabelle(1st person):**

The day passed by slowly- even with the opera house being busy with preparations for tonights performance. Since I was playing the role of the page-boy, I didn't have to go practice with the other ballerinas. Instead, I sat in the storage room with Fenris, laying on my back as I sang to my wolf quietly, as to not grain unwanted attention. Which meant to not gain Erik's attention but I believe I failed at since I heard a faint clapping as I finished singing.

The feeling of disappointment had followed me for most of the day and I tried to not let it get to me. There was nothing I could do and it was better just to accept the role that I got. Although I would have preferred just being a dancer then the page-boy. At least then I would have been able to enjoy myself a bit and not be in the constant presence of Carlotta.

When Wilhelm had been told that I had been chosen to be the page-boy, he looked like he was about to panic. I didn't really know why but he gave me this look as if he feared for my life. It had confused me even more when I asked what was wrong and he had replied with nothing before disappearing. That had happened over four hours before and I still hadn't heard a word from him since.

I let out a soft sigh as I stood up, stretching my shoulders before heading to the changing room. It was time to get ready for the night's performance. Quickly, I slid on my costume before putting my hair into a loose ponytail, one that looked like a fashion for men with long hair.

"Are you ready?" Meg asked as we stood off the stage, getting ready to begin the performance. She was dressed in a maid's costume with bright make-up on her face.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied, sending her a half-smile. "I wish you luck!"

"You too!" Meg grinned before hurrying to where she was supposed to be waiting. I, on the other hand, slowly made my way to the bed where I had to pretend to be kissing Carlotta. The woman glared at me the entire time we were waiting for the opera to begin. I simply ignored her and stared straight ahead with a bored expression on my face. It seemed to annoy her so I continued to do it, even going as far as to yawn and rub my eyes.

"Just remember to stay silent, you miserable toad," Carlotta hissed at me right when the play was about to begin. I felt myself twitch but still refused to react to her words. Right when the curtain opened to mark the beginning of the play, I moved closer to Carlotta (I wasn't thrilled about it) and placed my hand on Carlotta's stomach. While I did that, Carlotta put her fan to block our faces from view so it would look like we were kissing.

_"They say that this youth_

_Has set my lady's heart a flame!"_

The woman in a purple costume sang, holding her fan close to her face as she looked between her two male companions. Her companion in blue began to sing next before the yellow companion then all three of them.

**_"His lordship sure_**

**_Would die of shock!"_**

**_"His lordship is a laughingstock!"_**

_"Should he suspect her, god protect her!_

_Shame, shame, shame!_

_This faithless lady's_

_Bound for Hades!_

_Shame, shame, shame!"_

The curtain surrounding the bed that hid Carlotta and I from view of opened to show a scene where it looked like we were kissing. Carlotta suddenly closed her fan and I pretended to be surprised at being caught in the act. As the music continued to be played, both of us got off the bed and stood in front of it.

_"Serafimo your disguise is perfect!"_

Carlotta sang as I stood beside her in a skirt that hid the breeches I wore. A man off to the side made a knocking nose and we turned to look at the prop of a door.

_"Why, who can this be?"_

Meg ran over to the 'door' and pretended to open it, covering her hand in surprise as Piangi, playing the husband, entered the room.

**_"Gentle wife_**

**_admit your loving husband!"_**

Piangi sang before pretending to slab Meg's behind. The audience laughed at the antic while little Piangi came out a moment later and began to walk around while waving his fan. I leaned down and pretended to clean while the others sang.

**_"My love, I'm called on to England_**

**_On affairs of state!_**

**_And must leave you with your_**

**_new maid!"_**

Piangi pretended to grab my behind as I wiggled it. Quickly, I turned around and did my best to look shocked and disgusted, my eyes wide as I gaped at the man.

"Though I would happily take the maid with me," Piangi said, grinning towards the audience. The audience laughed and their attention was focussed on him. Carlotta wasn't pleased and she frowned, trying to get the attention to come back to her. A moment later, she turned to the audience and announced, "The old fool is leaving!"

Carlotta and Piangi began to sing together as they grabbed hands and spun in a circle before they let go and Piangi went out the 'door'. As soon as he was gone, I took off my skirt and threw the duster I carried to the side as Carlotta sang,

_"Serafimo, away with this pretense!_

_You cannot speak_

_But kiss me in my husbands absence!"_

Carlotta turned to me and made her fan cover our faces as we leaned in and pretended to kiss. Let me tell you, it was far from pleasant, she was glaring daggers at me the whole time. We pulled away and Carlotta went to the front of the stage with the other singers while I slowly made my way toward them. Carlotta began to sing,

_"Poor fool, he makes me laugh_

_Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha_

_Time I tried to get a better_

_Better half_

_Poor fool he doesn't know_

_Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho_

_If he knew the truth_

_He would never leave!"_

A loud, and very booming voice interrupted the song and stopped the music.

"Did I not instruct that box five was to be left empty?" I heard the voice ask and I imminently recognized that it was Erik. And boy, did he sound pissed. Everyone gasped and looked around in search of the voice but found no one. Even I didn't but I had a feeling he was somewhere near the chandelier.

_"He's here, the Phantom of the Opera!"_

I heard Meg sing as she glanced at me then to Wilhelm who was watching me with narrowed eyes, looking for my response.

"It appears so," I murmured glancing back at Meg, trying to ignore Wilhelm's stare. "And he sounds pissed... Lovely!"

"Your part is silent, little toad!" Carlotta snapped at me, slapping her fan in my direction before giggling and walking away. I turned and glared at her, hoping her body would magically catch on fire. To my greatest disappointment, she didn't

"Oh you little _pest,_" I muttered under my breath, turning to see Wilhelm give me a look of warning.

Carlotta came back a moment later after spraying her mouth with her liquid stuff. She signaled for Reyer to restart the music of the scene and we began to redo the scene.

_"Serafimo, away with this pretense!_

_You cannot speak_

_But kiss me in my-"_

I couldn't help but cringe as I heard Carlotta let out an awful sounding croak. The audience began to laugh at her, while others gasped with shock. Carlotta's eyes were wide and she laughed nervously before she began to sing, somewhat timidly.

_"Poor fool he makes me laugh_

_ha, ha, ha, ha, ha-"_

Carlotta croaked again and again, and she freaked out, placing her hand on her throat and looking around wildly. The audience laughed harder at this and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity. Even if she was a complete and utter bitch, she didn't deserve to be laughed at by that many people. Oh who am I fooling? Little bitch deserved it for being so rude and mean to everyone, thinking that she was better than every one.

Suddenly, I heard Erik's booming laughter as he shouted, "she's singing to bring down the chandelier!"

Carlotta looked around in fear before running off the stage, calling for her mother. The curtain fell when the managers asked, hiding most of the actors and managers behind it. Except for the singing man in yellow who got left behind. He tried to find his way through but couldn't and ended up having Reyer hiss at him to get off.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize," Firman said, addressing the audience as he and André stood in front of them. "The performance will continue in 10 minuets time..." Firman reached behind the curtain and grabbed my arm, pulling me to stand beside him and André. "...when the role of the countess will be played by Miss Wolfe!"

I heard the audience cheer and clap for me while I stood, looking at them with wide, startled eyes. Firman pushed me back through the curtain and told me to hurry and get ready for my performance. I nodded and took off sprinting to the Prima Donna room where I was to get dressed. Madame Giry was already there waiting for me and I quickly slid out of my clothes and began to put my dress on with Madame Giry's help. We stood in front of the mirror, making sure everything looked right. I was freaking out a little, something in my gut told me something bad was about to happen but I couldn't remember what.

"There we go," Madame Giry murmured as she finished lacing up my dress. She fixed a few things and stepped back once she was finished with my dress. I slid the bow off my hair and let my hair fall to my shoulders in a straight line. Sliding my bangs to the side, I used a clip to keep it in place. As I turned back to Madame Giry, I caught sight of something on the vanity. I reached out and grabbed the object from the vanity, finding that it was a dark red rose with a black ribbon on it. Again, I wondered why Erik had changed the color of the rose but I couldn't come up with an answer.

"What's this mean?" I quietly asked Madame Giry, my brows furrowed in confusion. She simply shook her head, looking at me with sad eyes. Madame Giry then told me to go on stage and that the performance was about to start soon. Right before I left, she called me back, holding out something for me.

"Don't forget this," Madame Giry said as she handed me my charm bracelet. I frowned in confusion but nodded my head, hurriedly clasping it on my wrist before going to the stage, the rose still in my hand. I had just made it to the stage when I saw something that made my eyes widen with horror and a scream come from my lips. A body fell from somewhere above and hung from a noose. The man's dead body turned enough for me to see that it was Joseph Boquet. Everyone was screaming by the time the body fell to the ground.

Meg, Emma, and Christine were huddled together, crying and screaming in fear. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wilhelm drop his cello before jumping on stage, running toward me.

"Izzy, are you okay?" I heard Wilhelm ask, grabbing my head in his hands and forcing me to look at him. It was then that I realized I had stopped screaming and had began to cry.

"I-I-I'm fine! Just spooked," I stuttered, trembling as I pulled myself out from his arms. "I-I just c-caught the end of it! G-go see to Meg! She wa-was closer to the b-body then I had been! I'll be fine! J-just go!"

Wilhelm reluctantly nodded his head before rushing over to Meg to comfort her. Raoul was by Christine and held her in his arms, Emma by Archer and being calmed by him. Me, I was on the verge of panicking as I quickly darted away, needing some air. Oh god I was freaking out so badly. I began my best to run to the roof, slipping past people and darting through openings and holes, completely unaware that I was being followed by the one person I was running from. As I ran, I trembled in fear, very aware that it had been Erik who killed Boquet. I don't know why, but I had a terrible feeling that Raoul was on Erik's 'to kill' list. Softly, I began to sing under my breath as I made my way to the roof.

_"I can't go back there_

_If I return he'll kill him_

_His eyes will find him there_

_Those eyes that burn_

_And if he has to kill a thousand men_

_The Phantom of the Opera will kill and kill again!"_

I was nearing the stairs that lead to the roof when I heard someone shout my name. I ignored it completely as I sprinted up the stairs and continued to sing, louder this time,

_"I don't want to run from him_

_But I'm terrified!"_

The sound of feet almost right behind me nearly stopped me from hurrying but I forced myself to ignore it as I neared the top.

_"And in this labyrinth_

_Where night is blind_

_The Phantom of the Opera_

_Is there_

_Inside my _mind_!"_

Getting to the roof, I slammed the door open and close behind me, hoping that the person following me would take a hint and leave me alone. All I wanted was to be alone to gather my thoughts and calm down. I was so scared and I didn't really know why. I knew Erik wouldn't harm me but seeing the dead body terrified me, knowing that he could easily do that to Wilhelm or Raoul if he thought they were in the way.

But Erik wouldn't do that... Right? He knew that it would cause me pain and make me never talk to him again, right? I made my way to the center of the roof and looked down at my hands, seeing that I still clutched the red rose tightly.

"Isabelle?" A voice called from the door. I turned to see Raoul walking towards me will a worried look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," I shrugged helplessly, looking away.

"I know about the Phantom of the Opera," Raoul said, making me turn around to face him. He frowned, seeing the fear in my eyes before he began to sing softly,

_"Isabelle, there is no Phantom of the Opera_

_It's all in your mind!_

_That voice you hear is just that;_

_A voice!"_

I frowned and shook my head, knowing that what he said was wrong, oh so very wrong! He wasn't just a voice, he was so much more than that and much more dangerous. I turned back to him and began to sing,

_"Raoul I've been there_

_To his world of unending night_

_To a world where the daylight dissolves_

_Into darkness... Darkness!"_

Raoul looked like he was going to say something but I stopped him before he could say a word, furious that he didn't believe me.

_"Raoul, I've seen him_

_Can I ever forget that voice?"_

My anger and fear began to slowly disappear as I remembered the night before and early this morning. My singing became less loud and turned almost to a whisper.

_"Can I ever escape from his music?_

_Do I even want to?_

_So alluring, mesmerizing, it wasn't far from perfect_

_In the darkness... Darkness..."_

I felt myself smile as I looked away, remembering the sound of his voice and music.

_"And his voice filled my spirit_

_With a strange sweet sound_

_In that night there was music in my mind_

_And through music my soul began to soar!_

_And I heard as I'd never heard before..."_

Raoul frowned as he walked closer to me, trying to catch my eyes but I was to busy remembering the sound of Erik's velvet voice.

_"What you heard was a dream and nothing more."_

I turned back to Raoul, shaking my head at his statement. Turning back to the stars, I began to sing,

_"Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world_

_Those pleading eyes,_

_That both threaten and adore..."_

Raoul tried to get my attention, singing my name,

_"Isabelle... Isabelle..."_

**_"Isabelle..."_**

My eyes widened as I heard Erik and I looked around wildly to catch sight of him. "Erik?" I questioned softly, making sure not to be overheard by Raoul. Raoul sighed softly as he walked toward me, turning me to face him as he sang to me softly.

_"No more talk of darkness_

_Forget these wide-eyed fears_

_I'm here, nothing will harm no_

_My words will reassure and calm you."_

I looked away, I wasn't really scared anymore, and any fear I had wasn't fear of Erik himself. I only feared what he would do if something happened that he didn't like. So maybe I feared him... But just a little. I still liked Erik, of course, and I wasn't planning on throwing him into dirt anytime soon. Maybe I should just go with what Raoul is saying... To at least get him to stop worrying over me...

_"Let me be your brother_

_Let daylight dry your tears_

_I'm here, with you, beside you_

_To protect you and to guard you."_

I looked at Raoul, smiling slightly as I began to sing,

_"Say you'll be there for me_

_Every nightmare and horror_

_Still my fears with talk of summer time_

_Say you'll be there for me_

_Now and Always_

_Promise me that all you say is true_

_That's all I ask of you."_

Raoul smiled back, patting my hair as he flicked my nose. I squeaked and slapped his hand, glaring at him playfully. He merely laughed before continuing with the song,

_"Let me be your laughter_

_Let me be your protector_

_You're safe, no one will harm you_

_Your fears are far behind you."_

I looked away, frowning as I debated on how to continue,

_"All I want is peace_

_A world with no more fear_

_And my brothers, always beside me_

_To trust me and to guide me."_

"Of course, Isabelle," Raoul murmured, hugging me close. I hugged him back and kissed him on the cheek. I didn't realize that I had dropped my rose or that something slipped off my wrist. "I'll always be there for you, little snowflake."

"Little snowflake?" I questioned, pulling back to look at him with shock. Did Raoul know that Erik called me that too?

"Your hair reminds me of snow and your short," Raoul shrugged before I saw his eyes light with mischief. He gripped my waist before spinning me in circles. I let out a joyful squeak as I spun, feeling the wind whip around my face. After a few more spins he set me down, my giggles slowly disappearing. "We should get back, they're going to begin to worry about you."

"Yeah you're right," I sighed before following Raoul through the door.

* * *

**Erik(3rd person):**

Erik stepped off the statue he had hidden behind, staring at the door where Isabelle and Raoul had left through with betrayal bright in his eyes. His Isabelle had betrayed him, _his_ Angel had left him for another man. He was willing to give her anything and everything just to keep her smiling. That fop couldn't give her all that he could give her and yet she sang with him, kissed him, and then left with him! She had betrayed him and torn his heart in half, making him want to weep.

Erik had thought that since Isabelle had kissed him on the cheek that morning, _maybe _she felt the same. That maybe they could be something but his hope and joy had torn in only a few minuets and all he was left with was pain. Slowly, Erik approached the fallen rose, looking at it with eyes full of tears. He crouched down beside it and picked the rose up gently, his heart clenching with more pain as he saw the charm bracelet, forgotten in the snow. It had been his gift to Isabelle, he had carved and painted the charms himself. His hand shook as he grabbed it, holding the small bracelet in his large hand. He held it tightly in his hand as he looked at the rose and he began to sing, pain obvious in his breaking voice.

**_"I gave you my music_**

**_Made your song take wing!_**

**_And now, how you've repaid me_**

**_Denied me and betrayed me._**

**_He was bound to love you..._**

**_When he heard you sing!"_**

"Isabelle..." Erik sobbed softly, closing his fist around the rose as he let his tears fall, "Isabelle!" He could practically hear the fop and his angel sing, as if mocking him.

_"Say you'll share with me one love,_

_one lifetime._

_Say the word and I will follow you."_

Erik brought his hands up and covered his ears, muttering 'no' and shaking his head as they continued to sing.

_"Share each day with me,_

_Each night,_

_Each morning..."_

Suddenly, Erik had enough. He shook with fury as he dropped the crushed rose and ran toward one of the statues. Erik began to climb it as he sang,

**_"You will curse the day you did not do!_**

**_All that the Phantom asked of you!"  
_**

* * *

**A/N: Hi! Thanks for reading- I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I hope what I did to 'All I ask of you' wasn't a fail, I tired to change the meaning of the song but I don't think I was successful... Oh well! ****_  
_**

**Till next time :D**


	16. Chapter 18

**A/N: Oh god I am so _so _sorry for the lateness of this chapter and for not updating in a few months. Not only did I just get finished with finals (finally on summer vacation) but ****I had major writers block that wouldn't let me finish this chapter ****and for a while, I just couldn't write anything good for this story. I don't know how many times I rewrote this chapter before I finally managed to get slightly pleased with it. ****Hopefully I will be able to update regularly but I really can't make any promises. I want to thank you all for sticking with the story and for reading! And an extra thanks for all those who reviewed! All of them made my day :3**

**Now I need to give a HUGE thanks to grapejuice101 for helping with this chapter! Without her, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish this chapter for a long while. She's awesome and deserves all the love in the world! She also made a polyvore poster for my story a few months back and it's awesome! I'll put the link to it in my profile- you can see how all the characters should look :D**

**This chapter probably isn't my best and its the work of me pushing through my writers block... I might go back and fix it later, depending on how I feel about it. Oh, and I'm also going to be revising the beginning chapters because they're not really that good... Or descriptive. I began writing this around a year ago (in late June, a few months before I published it) and I improved a lot... I think. Also, I think I'm going to change it all to 3rd person simply because I'm not good at 1st person... ****I'll tell you all when I revise a chapter so you can check it out! Currently, I have the first chapter revised and up :3**

**Sorry for the long Author's note and I hope you enjoy the story!**

**Review replies:**

RosaBelle: _I'm glad you enjoyed the croak scene- I wasn't too sure about it at first! I'm sorry for the very late update an I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

Guest #1: _Awe I'm glad you liked the chapter! And cliffhangers, huh? Those terrible and beautiful things... I guess it was a very long cliffhanger since I didn't update in forever... Sorry about that DX I hope you enjoy the chapter _

The Fullmetal Jedi of Paris: _I'm sorry- I just can't help but break my readers hearts in my wake :D _

E-man-dy-S: _Indeed, our poor Erik needs to pay more attention... Maybe... I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

LunaPrimeStar: _What can I say? I love torturing poor and loved characters :3 __I'm glad that you like the story and enjoyed the chapter! And sorry for the very late update!_

beauty and the beast master: _Sorry for the horribly late update!_

ThePhantomIsMyLove: _Don't worry- I will hopefully continue my writing!_

Guest #2: _Thank you! I'm pleased that you love my story and I hope you enjoy the chapter! Even though its __incredibly late..._

SelasVictoria: _Thank you! I'm glad you liked the chapter and the song! I wasn't too sure about it and its good to hear that you like it! I hope you enjoy the chapter and sorry for the lateness!_

* * *

**Isabelle (3rd person):**

"I hope the managers aren't mad at me," Isabelle murmured to Raoul as they made their way down the stairs. "We have been gone for quite a while..." As they neared the bottom of the stairs, Isabelle suddenly noticed the weight that had been lifted from her wrist and once she glanced down, she saw that her charm bracelet was missing. Her eyes widened in horror and she quickly turned to Raoul, "I have to go back! I dropped something _very_ important to me on the roof and I need to go back and get it!"

"Do you have to go get it now?" Raoul asked, turning to Isabelle with his brows furrowed. "You need to be on stage right-"

"Oh there you two are!" Christine's voice stopped Raoul from continuing and they turned to see the petite brunette making her way toward them with a worried smile across her lips. Isabelle noticed that she was wearing a regular dress, not something worn for dancing or an outfit from the play. Her brows furrowed in confusion and she wondered if Christine had asked to be excused from the performance. "I was looking all over for you both!"

"What's going on, Christine?" Isabelle asked as she shifted around uncomfortably. The absence of her charm bracelet made her feel almost naked and she longed for the familiar weight on her wrist.

"I just came to tell you that the opera has been cancelled for today," Christine explained. "The... accident... has put a lot of people on edge and the managers thought it best to wait for tomorrow to put on the show."

"Oh! Well that's probably for the best," Isabelle nodded her head with a sober expression. "Well I'll see you two later then! I need to go get something from the roof..."

"Would you like for me to come with you?" Raoul asked, giving Isabelle a look.

"I'll be fine, _Goldjunge,_" Isabelle reassured him with a small smile. "Just go to dinner with Christine and have fun! Don't let me stop that date of yours," she winked at the blushing Christine. "Someone was _very_ excited about it this morning and I know that certain someone would be very disappointed if it doesn't happen!"

"We wouldn't want to happen, now do we?" Raoul smiled and turned to Christine, offering her his arm. She blushed softly and accepted the gesture before turning back to Isabelle with realization in her eyes.

"I almost forgot! Wilhelm asked for me to tell you to meet him by the entrance of the opera populaire- he wants to take Meg and you out to dinner."

"Thank you," Isabelle bowed her head slightly before hurrying back up the stairs. She didn't want to take to much time and have Wilhelm worrying over her- he did that enough already as it was! As soon as she opened the door to the roof, she noticed that the snow was coming down harder and the wind had started to pick up. Isabelle shivered at the cold and pulled her cloak tightly around her, wanting to keep all the heat she could close to her.

_'I need to find my bracelet as quickly as I can,'_ Isabelle thought to herself as she began to search through the snow for her charm bracelet. Her brows furrowed in confusion as all she found was bits of stone and random bits of metal but nothing resembling what she wanted. She spent the next ten minuets searching all over the roof for the bracelet but she couldn't find it- not even a trace! _'It's as if the bracelet was never here but it had to be! I was wearing it when I was singing with Raoul... I had to be...'_

Isabelle searched for another few minuets but after still coming up with nothing, she gave up with a sigh, knowing that there was no point in continuing to search when it just wasn't there. Right when she was about to go back inside, she felt as if someone was watching her but when she turned back to see if anyone was there, she only saw the snowflakes falling from the sky. With a shake of her head, she headed back inside and hurried down the stairs and toward the entrance of the building.

"Took you a while, Izzy," Wilhelm grinned as he saw her hurrying toward Meg and him. "Did you get lost?"

"I dropped something on the roof when I was talking to Raoul," Isabelle explained. "But I couldn't find it and I didn't want to waste anymore time so I hurried here... Sorry for keeping you two waiting!"

"It's fine," Meg waved it away. "You're here now, aren't you? That's all that matters!"

* * *

Isabelle curtsied once more to the crowd, beaming as multiple colored roses were thrown at her feet. She had just finished the last show of _Il_ _Muto_ and she couldn't have been happier, glad to be rid of the play. The audience continued to clap, even as she walked off the stage after the curtain fell and signaled for the audience to begin to leave. Isabelle didn't blame them for lingering since the play had turned out nearly perfect- no one had forgot their lines and only once did a dancer mess-up. Luckily, Erik hadn't announced his presence and nothing bad happened to any dancers or singers.

"That show went really well," Emma commented as Isabelle got to her side, beaming at the complements she was getting from the other dancers. While Isabelle had played as the Countess, Emma had been the page-boy since Carlotta hadn't showed back up and was nowhere to be seen. Not that Isabelle or Emma minded, they were very thankful that she hadn't come back and were enjoying the absence of her presence. "I'm surprised too! Usually our last show ends up being our worst..."

"I guess it was just luck," Isabelle shrugged before she spotted André and Firman making their way towards her. "As much as I would like to stay, I need to make my escape... See you later!"

Isabelle waved goodbye before hurrying in the other direction that her managers were coming form. She weaved through the dancers and musicians as she made her way to the Prima Donna room without getting stopped. Quickly, she entered the room and locked it behind her, hoping that André and Firman wouldn't come looking for her. If they did, she knew she would have to talk to them and then go entertain the annoying and obnoxious nobles that had attended the performance.

"They'll never realize I'm here," Isabelle murmured to herself as she made her way to her wardrobe. She pulled out a dark red chemise and a pretty black robe before going behind the dressing screen and changing out of her costume and into the sleeping clothes. Afterward, she walked to her vanity and began to comb her hair, putting it up in a french braid. Just when she was about to tie it off with a ribbon, she heard someone knock on her door and she froze.

_'Please don't be André or Firman! Please...'_ Isabelle thought to herself, slowly rising from her chair and going to the door. _'Please be someone else- like Wilhelm or Emma!'_

Cautiously, Isabelle opened the door and looked through the think crack before visibly relaxing and opening the door further. "Oh it's only you, Raoul! Thank god- I thought it was one of the managers for a moment!" Raoul smiled in amusement before walking into the room and looking around with his brows raised. Isabelle had changed it a lot since the last time he was there and there was lot less pink then there was before.

Most of the vases of roses had been taken out and the only roses that remained where those that were either red, yellow or white- no pink roses in sight. The walls were still the bright pink that they had been before but the vanity was different, it was no longer painted pink but a soft blue. What confused (and surprised) him the most was that the large mirror at the end of the room was covered by a thick blanket.

"Doesn't it look better then before?" Isabelle asked with a content smile across her lips. "No more of that light pink! Ah, so much better! Pink is my least favorite color if you were wondering..."

"I can see that," Raoul chuckled softly. "Why did you cover up your mirror? If you mind me asking..."

Isabelle stiffened at his response but relaxed herself before he could notice. "Uh... I just don't like looking at mirrors that large... I always have a fear that they're going to fall on me or something." Isabelle mentally cheered to herself, _'Ah-ha! Finally, a lie that isn't obviously a lie!'_

"Such a strange fear but I won't question it," Raoul shook his head. "Now, I came here to ask you if you would like to come with Christine and I to my residence and stay there until the break is over. Most of the dancers and musicians will be gone- including Emma and Archer- and I don't want you to be almost alone here..."

"I would love to!" Isabelle nodded her head excitedly, a bright smile on her face. "I haven't been to your mansion in what seems like forever! Oh and there's a forest by your home where I could take Fenris for walks!"

"I'm pleased that you're so excited," Raoul let out a laugh. "I believe Wilhelm will be joining us for the last week of break but for now, he's going to stay here with Meg. Now, we'll leave tomorrow morning so make sure you have all your things packed by then!"

"Of course Raoul, I'll see you in the morning then," Isabelle bid her brother goodnight before she began to pack. She had a smile across her lips the whole time she was packing, beyond excited to be leaving the opera populaire and spend time with her family. As much as she liked the opera populaire, she really needed a break from the craziness that surrounded the whole building. Leaving would give her time to clear her head and get her thoughts together, something she hadn't been able to do all week.

Once she finished packing, she turned her head slightly and looked at the covered mirror with a frown. _'I wonder if he's behind there,'_ Isabelle thought to herself with a tilt of her head. _'Or is he down below... Creating music or simply sitting... Whatever he's doing, I hope he's enjoying himself...'_ She let out a sigh, turning away from the mirror and staring at one of the paintings hanging from the wall. _'I wonder if everything is okay with him... I haven't seen him since he took me to his lair... I hope he's okay...'_

With her thoughts on Erik, she blew out the candles that lit the Prima Donna room before she settled down in bed. For a moment, she simply stared at the outline of the covered mirror, wondering if he would visit her before she left. _'Well if he doesn't show up,'_ Isabelle thought to herself, rolling over and pulling her blanket over her head. _'...Then I'll just visit him myself!'_

A loud knock on her door woke Isabelle up with a start, causing her to jump awake and hurry to the door. Once she opened it, she saw that Christine- who looked like she just woke up herself- was sending her a tired smile. "Hello, Christine," Isabelle yawned, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Is there something you need?"

"Raoul wanted me to wake you up and tell you that we're leaving in a few hours," Christine told her. "He said that he'll come and take them to the carriage before we leave..."

"Thank you, Christine," Isabelle smiled at her in gratitude, "I guess I should start getting ready then..." She bid Christine goodbye before she shut the door and walked over to her dresser to get one of the dresses she didn't pack. After debating for a few minuets, she decided on her simple mint green dress that had light pink roses sewed along the bottom. Isabelle took a quick bath before putting on her dress and shoes, then beginning to comb her hair and she decided to keep it down with one of her white roses pinned in her hair.

_'There was no sign of Erik last night,'_ Isabelle thought to herself with a frown, glancing at the covered mirror. _'I told myself if he didn't I was going to visit him... I better do it now before Raoul or Wilhelm show up.'_

Isabelle locked both of her doors before she began to approach the mirror, pulling the cover off to reveal the large and detailed mirror. She pierced her lips as she debated on to whether or not to enter but in the end she told herself that she made a promise and looked for a way to enter.

_'Found it,'_ Isabelle smirked as she found a spot where she could push the glass or mirror aside. After pushing it aside, she took a step through the mirror and narrowed her eyes as she attempted to see more then a few feet in front of her. _'It's so dark! I should __probably bring a candle...'_

She hurried back inside her room and picked up a chamberstick that held a candle, lighting it with a match before she began her journey down the hall after she closed the mirror behind her. _'It looks way more sinister then it did last time,'_ Isabelle thought to herself with a frown. _'It's very dark and there aren't any __candelabras hanging on the walls- lit or unlit! I wonder why...' _Isabelle slowly made her way to the end of the hall and cautiously walked down the stairs, keeping the chamberstick a fair distance in front of her in order to see each upcoming step.

_'I see that Caesar isn't here,'_ Isabelle thought as she reached the end of the stairs and saw that the horse wasn't standing at the end like last time. _'I guess Erik only had him there for show last time... Oh well, I think I'm near the end anyways!'_

Isabelle picked up her pace, wanting to reach her destination as quick as possible in case Raoul or Wilhelm checked up on her a little early and noticed her absence. Her eyes lit up as she saw that she reached the end of the passageway but she nearly face palmed when she realized something.

_'How the hell am I going to cross the lake?'_ Isabelle asked herself with a silent groan, noting that the gondola was missing. _'Why didn't I realize this _before_ I left through the damn mirror!' _She looked around and eyed the two hallways on the lake and wondered if she should just brave the water to get to it but quickly shook that idea away. _'I don't know how deep the water is and I don't want to soak my dress... Raoul and Wilhelm will wonder what happened.'_

Isabelle was about to give up on her mission and head back to her room when she caught sight of something hidden by thick vines with pointy thorns. What looked like a metal lever was barely sticking out from the thorns and only the metal reflecting off her candle's light made it visible to her. Slowly, Isabelle approached the lever (in case there were any traps) and began to unwound the vines from the lever.

_'I don't remember this being here,'_ Isabelle thought to herself with her brows furrowed in confusion. _'I don't remember it in any of the books or the movies... That's not surprising though- I can't remember anything any __more!'_ Isabelle paused for a moment and stopped unfurling the vines, _'Maybe I shouldn't use the lever... I don't know what it does and with my luck, something bad will happen...'_ She bit her lip as she debated on what to do before shrugging, _'I might as well... I've already come this far...'_

A hiss left Isabelle's lips as the thorns pierced the skin of her hands and she attempted to ignore the stringing as she forced the lever down. For a moment, nothing happened and Isabelle wondered if the lever was broken before she heard the faint sound of gears turning and she turned to see what looked like a stone platform rising from the ground.

_'Wha...? How did Erik manage to do that,'_ Isabelle asked herself with surprise in her ice-blue eyes. _'He __truly is a genius!'_

Isabelle slowly walked to the stone platform, testing it's strength with one foot and when she say that it wasn't going to sink in, she continued across it and hurried to the other side. A sigh of relief left her lips as she got to the other side safely and hurried on her way, being careful of where she walked incase there were any traps. Luckily, she found none and she quickly got to the end of the hall, finding that it did lead to Erik's lair but it then leaded into another darkened hallway off to the side.

_'I really hope there aren't any traps in here,'_ Isabelle let out a soft sigh as she stepped into the hall, holding her chamberstick high above her head as she walked. As she walked further down the hall and noticed that it began to curve, as if going around something. Excitement began to bubble in her stomach as she saw the end of the hall and saw light, happy that she would be able to see Erik soon.

_'Oh that's bright,'_ Isabelle winced as the light fully met her eyes and she shook her head slightly. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around for a sign of Erik but couldn't see the masked man anywhere. Her eyes went over the multiple mirrors in the room, glancing at the docked gondola and the tall pipe organ. She saw a neat pile of sheet music sitting on a small desk beside it and for a moment she was tempted to look at it but told herself not to- she wasn't here for that. _'I wonder where he is...'_

"Erik," Isabelle called out, hoping that he could hear her voice. She put her chamberstick on one of his tables before lowering her voice and murmuring, "I hope you aren't mad at me for visiting..." She turned around to look back at the organ before she called his name out again, louder then before.

"Isabelle?" She heard a familiar voice ask from behind her and her eyes brightened in joy as she turned around to greet Erik but froze. For a moment, she simply stared blankly at the scene in front her, unable to move or make a sound in her surprise. Erik stood there in in his sleeping attire without his mask, rubbing his eyes tiredly and at the moment, he didn't seem to realize he was missing his mask.

Isabelle couldn't take her eyes off the deformity, too shocked to say or do anything. The skin had many wrinkles and ridges, looking extremely thin and there looked to be skin missing on his cheek. The deformity moved to one side of his upper lip and it puffed out, looking like it was swollen. Above his ear, Isabelle could see what looked like a ridge but his hair blocked anything else from view. There was also a faint sagging around his eye and she could see that there were many wrinkles around it and on one side of his nose.

She would be lying if she said it wasn't a little unnerving or that it was delightful to look at but she didn't find it frightening or repulsive. Nor did it make her thing any less of him, he was still Erik and his deformity didn't change her opinion of him.

A few moments of a tense and awkward silence passed before Erik realized that he didn't have his mask on and his eyes widened in horror. Quickly, he covered the side of his face with his hand before turning away and beginning to shout things in a language she couldn't understand. Isabelle could only watch with wide eyes, shocked as she saw him slap something off his table in anger.

Snapping herself out of her shocked state, Isabelle hurried to were Erik was and attempted to calm him. "Erik, please calm down," Isabelle said as gently as she could, placing a hand on his shoulder and trying to turn him around. But before she managed to turn him around fully, he shoved her back and she nearly crashed into the table, the side of her head scraping across the edge. A yelp of pain left her lips as she landed harshly on the ground, her head hitting the ground painfully. She grabbed her head in her hands in an attempt to ease the pain, curling herself up as she barely held in a whimper of pain and fear

_'I... I never expected him to act like this,'_ Isabelle thought to herself as she shook. _'He's scaring me! He's acting like... Like a monster! I shouldn't have come here- I'm an idiot to have thought this would work!'_ Isabelle's was shaking so badly that she nearly missed that Erik was singing softly and she had to strain her ears to hear just what he was saying.

**_"Stranger than you dreamt it_**

**_Can you even dare to look, or bear to think of me?_**

**_This loathsome gargoyle!_**

**_Who burns in hell..._**

**_But secretly yearns for _****_heaven_**

**_Secretly... Secretly..._**

**_But Isabelle!"_**

Isabelle hesitantly lifted her head up and looked at Erik, noticing that his eyes looked wild as he slowly approached her. He lowered himself on the ground slowly and crawled even slower, as if he was walking towards a wounded animal. For a moment, Isabelle could see something like regret and shame enter his eyes as he saw that she was still curled into a ball and holding her head. But he quickly looked away and stared across the lake, as if seeing something that couldn't.

**_"Fear can turn to love_**

**_You'll learn to see, to find the man_**

**_Behind this monster!_**

**_This repulsive carcass_**

**_Who seems a beast but secretly dreams of beauty_**

**_Secretly, secretly..._**

**_Oh, Isabelle..."_**

For a moment, Isabelle simply stared at the back of his head as she wondered what she should do. He sounded so miserable as he sang but she couldn't see past the anger he had shown her, too afraid that if she said or did something wrong, he would show it again. The mere thought of him displaying the anger, caused Isabelle to start to shake in fear again and she scrambled to her feet.

Slowly, she started to walk away from him, noticing how he had turned his face slightly to watch and hear her better. Isabelle closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down but as soon as she calmed her heart down, she felt something wet slide down her cheek. Instantly, her eyes snapped down and she shakily reached up see what it was. She sucked in a sharp breath of air as she saw the crimson liquid on her hands and her eyes snapped to Erik, horror and fear bright in her eyes.

Erik also seemed to notice the blood running down her face and he hurried to his feet, one arm stretching out to her. "Angel... Oh Isabelle I'm so-" Isabelle didn't wait for his response, instead she took off running back where she came. She didn't look back, fearing that she would see him following her with anger in his eyes. Feeling tears at the edge of her eyes, Isabelle hurriedly wiped them away but she didn't stop running. Quickly, she ran all the way across the stone platform and raced up the stairs- two at a time- and hurriedly opened the mirror.

Isabelle panted as soon as she closed the mirror and covered it in up, placing her hands on her thighs as she attempted to catch her breath. _'That was so... __Frightening,'_ Isabelle thought to herself with a shake of her head. _'Why did Erik __react like that?'_ Slowly, she made her way to her vanity and looked at the mirror, wincing when she saw that her face was very pale and that the blood had began to dry on the side of her face. _'I need to wipe this off before Raoul comes...'_

She grabbed a cloth from her vanity and dipped it in container of water before she gently washed the blood off. Once it was all gone, she looked back in the mirror and saw that the only thing remaining was a scrape but she couldn't get rid of that. Only a moment passed before she heard a knock on her door and she quickly unlocked it and opened it to see Raoul waiting for her with a small smile.

"Hello little snowflake," Raoul greeted pleasantly before his eyes widened when he saw the scrape on her head. "Wh-what happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Raoul," Isabelle forced herself to smile, "I just accidentally uh..." Isabelle quickly racked through her brain for a lie but only came up with, "I tripped over my dress and uh scraped my head on my vanity..."

"You need to be more careful," Raoul scolded as he gently tilted her head so he could see the scrape. "You're lucky the vanity only got the side of your face and not your eye!" He shook his head, "let's just hope it doesn't scar... Now, are you ready to go?"

"Oh! Yes," Isabelle nodded her head and pointed to her bag, "all my stuff is in there..."

"I'll grab it and carry it to the carriage while you go get Christine," Raoul stated. "She's with Meg in the dormitory... Your wolf, Fenris, is already in the carriage- Wilhelm got him for you..."

"I'll see you in a few minute then," Isabelle nodded her head before she hurriedly made her way to where Christine and Meg where. She glanced all around her as she walked, her eyes narrowed in search for any moving shadow. Isabelle could feel eyes on her and it only managed to make her pace quicken and she made it to the dorms within a few minutes.

"Oh hello Isabelle! Is it time to go?" Christine asked as Isabelle walked in the room. Isabelle only nodded her head and looked around once more, her brows furrowing when she saw that Emma wasn't there and that her stuff was all gone.

"Where did Emma go?"

"She left last night to her parents estate," Meg piped up. "She was going to say goodbye but she couldn't find you in time!"

Isabelle simple nodded her head before bidding her goodbye and walking to the entrance of the Opera Populaire with Christine by her side. As they walked, Isabelle couldn't help but feel safe and as if Erik wouldn't bother or approach her with another by her side.

"You excited to go?" Wilhelm asked as Isabelle and Christine got to the carriage. Isabelle nodded her head and did her best to smile, knowing that it didn't reach her eyes and that Wilhelm noticed. "Well be safe... If you need anything, don't hesitate to send a letter! Meg and I will visit, of course, but it won't be until a couple of weeks..."

"See you soon big brother," Isabelle murmured as she hugged her brother before joining Christine in the carriage, smiling when she saw Fenris lounging on one of the seats with his body stretched out. A loving smile crossed her lips as she pat Fenris on his stomach and sat beside Christine. Only a few minuets passed before Raoul poked his head in and spoke to them briefly before going to steer the horse.

_'I can't help but feel guilty for leaving,'_ Isabelle thought to herself with her eyes downcast. She felt the carriage begin to move and she glanced out the window before looking down again. _'I know I shouldn't but... Maybe I shouldn't have reacted like I did and ran away from him... I was just so scared! I...'_ Isabelle let out a sigh, _'I just need to collect my thoughts...'_

* * *

**Erik(3rd person):**

Erik watched Isabelle walk toward the exit of the opera house with sorrow and rage in his eyes. His heart clenched in pain as he remembered her expression before she ran away, seeing the look of pure terror in her eyes before she couldn't take it anymore and ran off. She thought he was a monster- he was sure of that! Her expression was enough to prove that his face was to horrific for her eyes to bare.

And to top it all off, he had hurt her! He had hurt his angel and made her bleed, something he knew he would never be able to forgive himself for. There was no way she was going to forgive him, he knew that.

As Erik continued to watch Isabelle leave with Christine, it suddenly hit him that she was going to live with that fop! The sorrow that he held was quickly covered by rage as he saw the blonde hurry his way to the carriage with a bag behind him. He sneered as he saw him- such an insolent and weak little boy! If he hadn't interfered in the first place and kissed her on the roof a week before, none of this would have happened! He would have been with his angel for the whole week and Isabelle would never have seen his face and ran away.

Erik growled and his fingers twitched to his punjab lasso, aching to end the foolish boy's life. But he knew that if he hurt him in any way, he would loose Isabelle forever- she would never forgive him. If he hurt or killed any of her brothers or friends, she would never talk to him again, he knew this. She would never look at film with her beautiful blue eyes that were always warm and filled with mirth.

"This isn't over," Erik growled before he stalked back to his lair. He threw his cloak off and tossed his hat to the side as he reached his organ and sat down, immediately bringing his hands up to play. The song came out dark and full of hate and rage, making him chuckle darkly. As he finished, he quickly began to write all that he had played on sheet music, smirking as he saw his opera- his master piece- quickly coming to a finish. "Don't think this is over... You _will_ be mine, Isabelle!

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading!**

**Till next time :D**


	17. Another Author's note

Hi my loving and very patient readers! God it has been forever since I've updated and though this one isn't a new chapter, I have put new chapters up! So chapter 1 and 2 have been updated and they're very different from the original so I would check those out!

I have also deleted some chapters and combined them so don't be worried if the story has less chapters then you remember. Anyways, I will alert you all when every five or so chapters have been updated so you can read them. I've decided to alert you when two are only done so I can keep you informed with what's happening!

A big thankyou to everyone who encouraged me not to stop writing the story- it meant a lot to know so many of you like this story! I do hope you enjoy the new chapters!


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